History of Mike Waltz in Timeline

Michael Waltz is an American politician and former Army Special Forces officer. A Republican, he served as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2025 and currently serves as the U.S. National Security Advisor since 2025. He is the first Army Special Forces soldier elected to Congress. During his military career, Waltz earned four Bronze Stars through multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to entering politics, Waltz also served in the Bush administration as a defense policy director in the Pentagon and as a counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

1936: Comparison to 1936 Summer Olympics

In 2021, Waltz likened the 2022 Olympics to the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Nazi Germany, in advocating for a full U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

January 31, 1974: Mike Waltz's Birth

On January 31, 1974, Michael George Glen Waltz was born.

1996: Graduation from Virginia Military Institute

In 1996, Waltz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from the Virginia Military Institute, graduating with honors.

1996: Commissioned as Armor Officer in U.S. Army

In 1996, Waltz was commissioned as an Armor Officer in the U.S. Army.

2000: Graduation from Special Forces Qualification Course

In 2000, Waltz graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course, serving as an active duty Special Forces officer.

2002: Serves in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces, MD-ARNG

From 2002, Waltz served in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces, MD-ARNG.

2010: Waltz co-founds Metis Solutions

In 2010, Waltz helped found Metis Solutions, an analytics and training company.

2011: End of Service in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces, MD-ARNG

In 2011, Waltz's service in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces, MD-ARNG, concluded.

2012: Serves in 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces, TX-ARNG

From 2012, Waltz served in 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces, TX-ARNG.

2014: Publication of 'Warrior Diplomat'

In 2014, Waltz's book, "Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan", was published.

2015: End of Service in 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces, TX-ARNG

In 2015, Waltz's service in 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces, TX-ARNG, concluded.

2016: Resumes service in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces, MD-ARNG

In 2016, Waltz resumed service in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces, MD-ARNG.

2017: Remarks at Conservative Political Action Conference

At the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference, Waltz reflected on his time serving in Afghanistan, following the announcement of Obama-era troop withdrawals. He emphasized the necessity of a long-term strategy to undermine Islamic extremism, comparing it to past struggles against fascism and communism, and cautioned that defeating an ideology is far more difficult than military action.

2017: Views on Afghanistan

In 2017, Waltz expressed his views on Afghanistan, emphasizing ideological objectives over material ones, advocating for a slow cultural conversion by unconventional forces over multiple generations to win 'hearts and minds'. He predicted it would take 100 years to achieve these objectives.

2018: Waltz Runs for Florida's 6th Congressional District

In 2018, Waltz ran for Florida's 6th congressional district, defeating Nancy Soderberg in the general election.

2018: Waltz Elected to the House of Representatives

In 2018, Waltz was elected to the House of Representatives, defeating Nancy Soderberg and succeeding Ron DeSantis.

January 3, 2019: Waltz Sworn into Congress

On January 3, 2019, Waltz was sworn in to the 116th United States Congress.

2019: Waltz Becomes U.S. Representative for Florida's 6th Congressional District

In 2019, Michael Waltz became the U.S. representative for Florida's 6th congressional district.

April 2020: Joins National Guard's COVID-19 Response

In April 2020, Waltz joined the National Guard's COVID-19 response efforts as a colonel on the planning staff.

November 6, 2020: Waltz Tests Positive for COVID-19

On November 6, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Waltz tested positive for the virus.

November 2020: Metis Solutions Acquired by PAE

In November 2020, Metis Solutions was bought by Pacific Architects and Engineers for $92 million.

December 2020: Waltz Signs Amicus Brief Supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania

In December 2020, Waltz was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.

2020: Legislation to Secure Universities from Espionage

In 2020, Waltz secured legislation to protect American universities from Chinese espionage and require disclosure of foreign funding sources.

2020: Sponsors American Critical Mineral Exploration and Innovation Act

In 2020, Waltz sponsored the American Critical Mineral Exploration and Innovation Act of 2020, which was signed into law.

2020: Vote for National Defense Authorization Act

In 2020, Waltz voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021.

2020: Waltz Re-elected

In 2020, Waltz was re-elected with over 60% of the vote.

2020: Waltz capital gains as a result of PAE acquiring Metis

In 2020, as a result of PAE acquiring Metis, Waltz realized capital gains in the range of $5-25 million.

May 19, 2021: Vote Against January 6 Commission Legislation

On May 19, 2021, Waltz voted against legislation to establish the formation of a January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

August 2021: Call to Reverse Afghanistan Withdrawal

In August 2021, as the US withdrawal from Afghanistan neared completion, Waltz urged President Biden to reverse course, advocating for the redeployment of special forces and the use of aerial bombardment against the Taliban. He predicted that the withdrawal would lead to the decimation of local allies and civilians, with thousands of potential deaths.

2021: Reported Role in Defense Contracting Company

In 2021, The Intercept reported on Waltz's role in founding and managing Metis Solutions, which had contracts in Afghanistan.

2021: Waltz Calls for Boycott of Beijing Olympics

In 2021, Waltz called for a full U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

2021: Vote Against American Rescue Plan Act

In 2021, Waltz voted against the American Rescue Plan Act.

2021: National Defense Authorization Act

In 2021, Waltz voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

2021: Call for Boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

In 2021, Waltz was the first member of Congress to advocate for a full U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing the CCP's treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. He likened the 2022 Olympics to the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Nazi Germany.

February 2022: Initial Support for Ukraine

In February 2022, following the Russian invasion, Waltz initially backed Ukraine.

July 19, 2022: Vote for Respect for Marriage Act

On July 19, 2022, Waltz voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.

2022: Beijing Winter Olympics Boycott

In 2022, Waltz advocated for a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

2022: PACT ACT and MORE Act votes

In 2022, Waltz voted against the PACT Act and the MORE Act.

2022: Vote to Include Provisions for Drafting Women in NDAA

In 2022, Waltz voted to include provisions for drafting women in the NDAA.

2022: Waltz Re-elected

In 2022, Waltz was re-elected with over 60% of the vote.

2022: Publication of 'Dawn of the Brave'

In 2022, Waltz wrote the book "Dawn of the Brave", a Christian children's book about service.

2022: Boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

Waltz advocated for a full U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing the CCP's treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. He likened the 2022 Olympics to the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Nazi Germany; this stance was initially made in 2021.

January 2023: Introduces Bill to Authorize Military Force Against Cartels in Mexico

In January 2023, Waltz and Representative Dan Crenshaw introduced a bill to seek authorization to use US military force to "put us at war with the cartels" in Mexico.

2023: Votes Against Fiscal Responsibility Act

In 2023, Waltz voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act in the House.

July 29, 2024: Named to Bipartisan Task Force Investigating Attempted Assassination of Trump

On July 29, 2024, Waltz was announced as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

November 12, 2024: Trump Announces Waltz as National Security Advisor

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump announced that he would appoint Waltz as National Security Advisor.

2024: Shift in Views on Ukraine

By 2024, Waltz's views on the conflict in Ukraine had evolved to a less supportive position. He suggested that Trump could leverage lower oil and gas prices to pressure Russia and criticized the Biden administration's strategy as unclear. He advocated for a negotiated settlement and suggested providing more weapons to Ukraine with fewer restrictions if Putin refuses peace talks.

2024: Assessment of China as an Existential Threat

In 2024, Waltz characterized China as an 'existential threat' to the US, citing its rapid military buildup. In an op-ed co-written with Matthew Kroenig for The Economist, he argued for de-escalating conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine to focus military assets on confronting China.

2024: Endorses Donald Trump for President

In 2024, Waltz endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican Party presidential primaries.

2024: Support for Pierre Poilievre

In 2024, Waltz publicly supported Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, expressing his hope that Poilievre would defeat Justin Trudeau in 2025. He also criticized Trudeau's policies toward China, including abstaining on a Parliament vote regarding the treatment of Uyghurs, allowing the sale of a lithium mine to a Chinese-state owned entity, and the pledging of Chinese donors to donate $1 million to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

2024: Vote Against Ukraine Bills

In 2024, Waltz voted against multiple Ukraine bills to aid Ukraine.

2024: Waltz Re-elected

In 2024, Waltz was re-elected with over 60% of the vote.

2024: Publication of 'Hard Truths'

In 2024, Waltz's book "Hard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret" was published.

January 20, 2025: Waltz Resigns House Seat

On January 20, 2025, Waltz resigned from his House seat to take office as National Security Advisor.

January 28, 2025: Waltz Holds Meeting with Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth

On January 28, 2025, Waltz held a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to discuss implementing President Trump's vision.

February 18, 2025: Attends US-Russia Delegation Meeting

On February 18, 2025, Waltz accompanied Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a meeting in Riyadh with a Russian delegation led by Sergey Lavrov to discuss peace negotiations on the war in Ukraine.

March 2025: Visit to Greenland Criticized

In March 2025, Waltz announced a visit to Greenland, which was criticized by Greenlandic leaders amidst tensions over U.S. interests.

March 2025: Confirms Offensive Cyber Operations Against Russia

In March 2025, Waltz confirmed on CNN's State of the Union that the United States would continue offensive cyber operations against Russia.

March 2025: Inadvertently Adds Journalist to Sensitive Chat

In March 2025, Waltz inadvertently added The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing upcoming US strikes in Yemen.

March 2025: Reports of Signal Group Chats with Cabinet Members

In late March 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that Waltz hosted multiple Signal group chats containing Cabinet members to discuss sensitive issues.

April 2025: Politico Reports on NSC Communications Process on Signal

Politico followed with an April 2025 report that Waltz's national security team had created at least 20 Signal group chats discussing official national security issues.

2025: Anticipation of Canadian Election Outcome

In 2024, Waltz stated that in 2025, Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre was going to send Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau "packing (finally) and start digging Canada out of the progressive mess it's in".