EXCLUSIVE: Ambassador Mike Waltz, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, is steering the Trump administration’s “America First” policy into the heart of international diplomacy. In an insightful conversation with Fox News Digital, Waltz, a former national security advisor, detailed his approach and vision for the role he now embraces.
Addressing the financial turmoil faced by the United Nations, Waltz firmly dismissed the notion that the U.S. is mainly to blame due to unpaid dues. “The United States contributes more to the U.N. system than 180 countries combined,” he emphasized, highlighting the country’s longstanding position as a leading supporter. However, he noted a shift under President Trump where an emphasis on reform is paramount.
According to Waltz, the U.N. has strayed from its core mission. “While the U.N. has been a valuable ally in achieving U.S. foreign policy goals at times, there are occasions where it operates contrary to our interests,” he stated. “It has become bloated and redundant, losing sight of its foundational purpose.”
Waltz advocates for an “America First” strategy that stresses fiscal accountability and equitable contribution among U.N. member states. He argues that leveraging U.S. financial contributions is a tool to instigate necessary reforms. “When we hold the U.N. accountable, it’s a reflection of the American taxpayers’ investment,” Waltz remarked. “Ultimately, we ensure that the organization delivers value for the resources provided by American taxpayers.”
In recent developments at the U.N., Waltz cast a vote in favor of a draft resolution to authorize an International Stabilization Force in Gaza on November 17, 2025. (Adam Gray/Getty)
Earlier this week, the U.N. secretary-general addressed the financial crisis, attributing it to member states failing to meet their financial commitments. When questioned about expectations for U.S. payment, he clarified, “The issue isn’t about confidence. Obligations are obligations, and they must be fulfilled.”
The secretary-general’s spokesperson, in response to a Fox News Digital question, rejected the idea that the organization’s financial crisis stems from internal management and echoed that position, saying the funding situation is “very clear,” pointing to the fact that some of the largest contributors have not paid, while arguing the secretary-general has been a “responsible steward” of U.N. finances and has pursued management reform since the start of his tenure.
“They just agreed to cut nearly 3,000 headquarters bureaucratic positions,” Waltz said in their defense. “They agreed to the first-ever budget cut in U.N. history in 80 years, a 15% budget cut, and they’re cutting global peacekeeping forces by 25%.”
“What’s interesting is, behind the scenes, a lot of people are saying thank you. This place needs to be better. President Trump is right. It’s not living up to its potential. We should ask ourselves, why isn’t the U.N. resolving things like border disputes with Cambodia and Thailand? Why aren’t they really driving the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan to a resolution? That’s what the U.N. was built for. Thank God President Trump is, but he’s asking the question of why is he having to do all of this. Where’s the United Nations? So we’re determined here to help them live up to their reforms, live up to their mandate, live up to their mission.”
“You have to have one place in the world where everyone can talk,” he said. “The president is a president of peace. He puts diplomacy first.”
Asked whether U.N. leadership is doing enough to reform the world body, Waltz said Secretary-General António Guterres has begun moving in the right direction but should have acted sooner.
“The secretary general has taken steps in the right direction. Frankly, I wish he had done it much sooner in a much more aggressive way,” Waltz said.
President Donald Trump meets with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres during the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on Sept. 23, 2025, in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He cited structural changes and consolidation efforts while arguing that measurable results must follow.
“The U.N.’s budget has quadrupled in the last 25 years,” Waltz said. “We haven’t seen a quadrupling of peace around the world. In fact, it’s gone the opposite direction.”
When asked if the administration’s Gaza peace framework and a mechanism known as the Board of Peace are alternatives to the U.N., Waltz said they are intended to complement the institution rather than replace it.
“The president doesn’t intend the Board of Peace to replace the U.N., but he intends to drive a lot of these conflicts to conclusion,” he said.
“As part of the president’s 20-point peace plan was also the Board of Peace to actually implement it,” he said.
He said the Board of Peace involves regional governments and is designed to create a stabilization structure on the ground. “The Egyptians are involved, Turkey’s involved, the Gulf Arabs, Jordan and importantly, the Israelis,” he said. “We’re going to have a stabilization force, we’re going to have a funding mechanism for rebuilding humanitarian aid … and this Palestinian technocratic committee that can restore government services.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff attend an interview after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 18, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters/Pool)
Looking ahead, Waltz said the administration wants a narrower, more mission-driven U.N. focused on security, conflict resolution and economic development.
“I see … a much more focused U.N. that we have taken back to the basics of promoting peace and security around the world,” he said.
He also called for greater private sector involvement and less reliance on traditional aid structures. “This old model of NGOs and agencies going to governments and just saying, ‘More, more, more’ — it isn’t sustainable,” he said. “If we’re driving environments in developing countries that welcome American businesses … we break that dependence on development aid and everyone benefits.”
A view of the United Nations Headquarters building in New York City on July 16, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ultimately, Waltz framed his role as executing foreign policy vision. “I’m a vessel for the president’s vision,” he said. “From my perspective, at the end of his administration, he looks at a U.N. that is leading in driving countries toward peaceful conclusions to conflicts around the world and asking for his help. That’s a much better dynamic than the president having to do it all and saying, ‘Where is the U.N. in these conflicts?’ And so we’re looking to very much flip that on its head, and we have a plan to do it.”
