Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Congressman Mike Waltz as his National Security Advisor. By picking Waltz as his top diplomat and NSA guarantees a continuation of bi-partisan support and further strengthening of the India-US relationship under the second Trump administration. The news of the major appointment came as the Republican party won a majority in the House of Representatives, thus giving Trump control over both the wings of the US Congress.
The role of the NSA does not require Senate confirmation. But a question triggered with Waltz's name-- whether he would be a good choice for strengthening India-US relations? The question seems significant amid the fact Washington had shown a tough stance on the assassination attempt of American citizen and Khalistani terrorist Gurupatwant Singh Pannun.
Will Trump’s NSA Pick, Mike Waltz, be beneficial for India?
According to Indian-American Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, Mike Waltz would be “good" for the India-US relationship. Khanna, 48, and Waltz, 50, are respectively the Democratic and Republican Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, which is the largest country-specific caucus in the House of Representatives.
"I am confident he will be very good for the US-India relationship,” Khanna told news agency PTI soon after the news broke that Walz was tapped by Trump as his National Security Advisor.
Waltz would replace Jake Sullivan as the National Security Advisor after Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. "I have a great relationship with Mike Waltz, and he was always good to work with. We travelled to India together when we led a delegation in 2023 for India's Independence Day," Khanna told the news agency. Both Khanna and Waltz have worked together on a number of key issues related to India US relationship.
When Waltz advocated for PM Modi's address to the US Congress
Last May, Khanna and Waltz wrote a joint letter to the then House Speaker Kavin McCarthy requesting him to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a joint address to the US Congress. "As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and US–India relations, we write to you as Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans with a shared commitment to strengthening the bilateral relationship between the United States and India,” they wrote in a letter dated May 23, 2023.
The two Co-Chairs of the India Caucus said the foundation of this partnership lies in the shared commitment to democracy and the upholding of a rules-based international system. Waltz after being elected as the Co-Chair of India Caucus in January last year had said that India is the world’s largest democracy and an important strategic partner for the United States.
“That’s why I’m honoured to serve as the Co-Chair of the House India Caucus this Congress to ensure we continue this partnership, strengthen political, economic, and security ties between our two countries, and protect democracies in Asia and worldwide,” he said.
When Waltz helped India during COVID-19
At the peak of the COVID-19 crisis in India, Waltz who then along with Khanna was co-vice Chair of the India Caucus, signed a letter with India Caucus Co-Chairs Congressmen Brad Sherman and Steve Chabot, to rush medical supplies to India. In the letter dated April 29, 2021, the India Caucus leaders argued it is “in the US interest for everyone in India to be vaccinated. “Further, we ask that you share with India surplus doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as possible. Finally, we also understand that India is eager to domestically produce high-quality US vaccines. We hope that you work with the private sector to assess how the US can best advance cooperation in this regard,” they said.
In a statement, Waltz then said India is the world’s largest democracy and an essential ally in America’s global competition with China.
'China hawk' Mike Waltz
Waltz has spoken consistently against China and has been instrumental in several legislations in the House of Representatives. In February 2021, Waltz introduced a resolution calling on the US to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics should the International Olympic Committee not move the games to a different country.
In March this year, Waltz, Ro Khanna (along with Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul led a bipartisan letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Linda Thomas-Greenfield requesting the State Department to continue advocating for the release of arbitrarily detained individuals in China, including Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, throughout the duration of the People’s Republic of China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
(With inputs from agency)
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