With Mike Waltz out as national security adviser and promoted to U.S. ambassador to the UN, rumors are swirling about who will replace him.
Marco Rubio has already been swapped in, on an acting basis. But, it is unclear how long President Trump wants to keep Rubio — who is already wearing many hats — in that position.
Here’s the full list of top contenders that could become President Trump’s next security adviser:
Stephen Miller, who is currently President Trump’s top policy and homeland security adviser, is reportedly at the top of the list.
BREAKING: Stephen Miller has emerged as the top contender for Trump’s next national security advise — Axios
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 2, 2025
NOW: Stephen Miller touted as top contender as President Trump’s next National Security Adviser.
Stephen is a BEAST. pic.twitter.com/apzheZ4Eud
— Diligent Denizen
Per The New York Post:
White House insiders are buzzing about the possibility of Stephen Miller, President Trump’s top policy and homeland security adviser, replacing Mike Waltz as national security adviser following Thursday’s administration shakeup.
Trump, 78, shifted Waltz, 51, out of leadership at the National Security Council and nominated him to be ambassador to the United Nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 53, will serve as national security adviser on an acting basis.
People close to the administration described Miller as a possibility for the post due to his hardline views on immigration — one of Trump’s top domestic and foreign policy priorities.
“He has been instrumental in the deportation effort and he and Rubio are aligned in stopping the cartels and the dictator regimes that they answer to, and he’s probably the only one with the gravitas to actually finish the job,” one source told The Post.
“I think Stephen is beyond brilliant.”
However, one source says he might not take the job because he wants to stick with immigration policy.
One insider noted: Miller might not want the job “if it takes him away from his true love: immigration policy.” pic.twitter.com/qBvjBg80oJ
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 2, 2025
Axios reported:
A fourth source said Miller signaled interest in the job Thursday, but Miller couldn’t be reached for comment to confirm. A fifth source said Miller might not want the job “if it takes him away from his true love: immigration policy.”
So, even if Stephen Miller is the leading contender, he might shoot the job down.
The Hill has more details about the other potential candidates:
Steve Witkoff
Steve Witkoff is a leading candidate to replace Waltz, according to multiple outlets, having quickly accumulated a sprawling portfolio as Trump’s favored international negotiator.
The Hill has reached out to Witkoff’s spokesperson for comment.
Witkoff, a billionaire real-estate investor, was tapped by Trump to be his special envoy to the Middle East. He has since become the point person for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine and has been the lead negotiator in early talks with Iran over its nuclear program.
Witkoff’s relationship with Trump goes back decades. However, he would be a highly unusual pick as national security adviser, with no official experience in government, foreign affairs or the military.
Ric Grenell
Ric Grenell is serving as Trump’s envoy for special missions and was seen as a candidate for both national security adviser and secretary of State heading into Trump’s second term. He is also interim executive director of the Kennedy Center.
Grenell has kept a relatively low profile in recent months, but he was involved in the release of six Americans held hostage in Venezuela in January.
Grenell served in multiple posts during Trump’s first four years in the White House, including acting director of national intelligence and ambassador to Germany. Trump also tapped Grenell to be his special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo during his first Oval Office stint…
Michael Anton
Michael Anton has quickly become a favorite candidate to replace Waltz in online MAGA circles, as Politico reported. He was also appointed last week to lead technical talks with Iran over its nuclear program.
He is the State Department’s policy planning director and was in the Vatican last weekend when Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During Trump’s first White House term, Anton served on the National Security Council. He later worked as a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute.
Sebastian Gorka
Sebastian Gorka, who is a first Trump administration alumnus, could also be in the mix.
He was tapped in November last year to be the deputy assistant to the president and the senior director for counterterrorism.
“Since 2015, Dr. Gorka has been a tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement, serving previously as Strategist to the President in the first Trump Administration,” Trump said about Gorka at the time.
Trump picked Gorka to be on his national security advisory board in July 2020. Before that role, he was advising the administration on counterterrorism matters.
Robert O’Brien
Robert O’Brien was Trump’s fourth and final national security adviser during his first term, serving from 2019 to 2021. He was seen as a contender for secretary of State before Rubio’s nomination.
O’Brien was Trump’s special envoy for hostage negotiations before becoming national security adviser. He previously advised high-profile Republicans, including former Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas).
He was also a relatively rare figure in the first Trump administration, acknowledging Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election and promising an orderly transition. O’Brien was interviewed by the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
Fred Fleitz
Fred Fleitz was chief of staff and executive secretary of the National Security Council for a few months during the first Trump administration, from May to October in 2018. He was a longtime top aide to John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser at the time.
He is currently vice chair of the America First Policy Institute Center for American Security and a Newsmax contributor.
Fleitz spent nearly three decades in various national security positions, including in the CIA, the State Department and as a House Intelligence Committee staff member.
He was on Trump’s shortlist of candidates to replace Bolton in 2019, a list that also included O’Brien, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, Keith Kellogg and Ricky Waddell.
Keith Kellogg
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg was initially appointed as Trump’s special envoy to the Russia-Ukraine talks in January, but he saw that role scaled back to focus on the Ukraine side of talks, which includes coordination with Europe. Witkoff has handled the Russia side of the brief.
Kellogg served as national security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence in the first Trump administration and as chief of staff for the National Security Council.
Kellogg is a decorated veteran of both the wars in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, and he was a senior Pentagon official during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The retired general briefly served as acting national security adviser following the resignation of Michael Flynn, also a retired lieutenant general, in 2017.
Christopher Landau
Another option to succeed Waltz is Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed source.
The State Department declined to comment on the possibility and referred The Hill to the White House.
Landau, an attorney, was Trump’s ambassador to Mexico from 2019 to 2021.
Before his time in Mexico City, Landau practiced law in Washington, D.C., for more than three decades.
What are your thoughts?
Who would you like to see given the role of national security adviser?
Let us know…
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.
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