1 month ago
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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump announced that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will be nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking over as National Security Advisor temporarily.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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📍 Where & When: Announced on Truth Social on May 1, 2025.
💬 Key Quote: “From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role,” Trump stated.
⚠️ Impact: Waltz’s reassignment reflects Trump’s strategic reshuffling to optimize his administration’s efficiency, ensuring America First policies are advanced at the UN while national security gets a reset following ‘Signalgate.’
IN FULL:
President Donald J. Trump has announced that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will be nominated for the position of United States Ambassador to the United Nations (UN). Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take over his national security role on an interim basis.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first,” he continued.
“I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department,” the America First leader added, concluding: “Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN.”
Rubio was previously named Acting Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), following its gutting by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Acting Archivist of the United States.
The National Pulse previously reported on sources saying Waltz’s removal as National Security Advisor was imminent, supposedly driven by a sense that the National Security Council was “not being run efficiently in an organized way,” rather than the so-called ‘Signalgate’ scandal, which saw Waltz accidentally add a hostile journalist to a group chat about strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.
Waltz’s nomination as UN ambassador suggests President Trump still values Waltz, but feels his talents could be better utilized elsewhere.
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and key figure in the Brexit initiative, blames the Conservative Party for not executing Brexit effectively, as Reform UK aims to convert its polling popularity into actual council seats in today’s elections.
👥 Who’s Involved: Nigel Farage, Reform UK; the Conservative Party, led by Kemi Badenoch; Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer.
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📍 Where & When: United Kingdom, with local elections scheduled for May 1.
⚠️ Impact: The Reform UK party aims to replace the Conservatives as the primary opposition to Labour, influencing local governance. A significant loss could bring about leadership challenges within the Conservative Party and the political landscape across England.
IN FULL:
England goes to the polls today, May 1, with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK positioned ahead, potentially positioning itself to secure seats in various councils.
There are 1,641 council seats across 23 local authorities, including 14 county councils, eight unitary authorities, and one metropolitan borough (Doncaster) in play, as well as six mayoral elections, featuring contests in Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, the West of England, Doncaster, and North Tyneside.
Notably, ‘Bad Boy of Brexit’ and long-time Farage ally Arron Banks is up for election as Mayor in the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). Early indications showed Banks as an outsider candidate, though more recently, he has been polling in a position to emerge stunningly victorious, perhaps even to his chagrin.
Voters in the parliamentary constituency of Runcorn & Helsby will also go to the polls today, following a special election triggered by the resignation of Labour Member of Parliament Mike Amesbury, who was convicted earlier this year after assaulting a constituent.
Reform UK seeks to expand its appeal to traditional Labour supporters by advocating for policies such as the renationalization of industries perceived to be failing, including Thames Water. The strategic goal is to erode Labour support while positioning the Reform UK party as a replacement to the Conservatives under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, without forming a center-right coalition.
The Conservative Party is now under existential pressure. It faces competition from Reform UK in the North and Midlands and the Liberal Democrats in the Southern regions. Kemi Badenoch’s leadership may face challenges should the party see substantial losses in the council seats it currently defends.
The introduction of five-party dynamics, with the rise of the Greens, could result in closely contested council seats, prompting significant implications for future elections. Reform UK’s performance in the upcoming elections will not only signal shifts in political power but also test whether Farage’s party can deliver on its promises or merely expand on electoral rhetoric.
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English (US) ·