“In most modern presidencies, the National Security Council, led by the national security adviser, has outmuscled other institutions to lead on key foreign policy and national security issues. But Waltz struggled to get approval even for staff, and some of his picks were fired after complaints from a far-right influencer about loyalty — a startling example of weakness.
Neither the State Department nor the Pentagon has managed to seize the mantle, even as the NSC floundered. This is surprising, given that both departments often resented the outsized role the national security adviser has played in past administrations, especially the micromanagement by the NSC.
Foreign officials, unsure who has the most sway over Trump, have resorted to talking to as many people with links to the president as they can. The hope is that at least one of those contacts can be an effective whisperer in Trump’s ear on everything from Iran nuclear talks to tariffs.”
…
“Rubio has gone so far to please Trump — abandoning positions he’s held in the past, sometimes in harsh terms — that he’s almost unrecognizable now. Maybe his willingness to bend to Trump’s will, even suggesting he’d defy a judge, has made Trump more inclined to rely on him, including having him lead the NSC for now. At the same time, it could mean that Trump views him as a doormat he can walk all over. (I got the sense from most people I spoke to that many believe Trump likes keeping his national security aides weak because he wants to be the only source of any power.)”
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/05/01/waltz-trump-national-security-weaknesses-00322064