Next NSA: Political Leader, Cyber Expert

Abstract

As of May 5, 2025, President Trump has replaced Michael Waltz as National Security Advisor—nominating him as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations—and installed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting NSA. This high‑level personnel shift underscores the administration’s need for an NSA who is first a seasoned political strategist in national security and also deeply fluent in the cyber domain. This article analyzes the implications of Waltz’s departure and Rubio’s interim appointment, and argues that the permanent successor should be a political specialist whose toolkit includes robust cyber understanding, to guide U.S. strategy through emerging digital threats over the next decade.

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1. May 2025 Personnel Update and Its Significance

• Waltz’s Departure: On May 1, 2025, President Trump announced Michael Waltz’s nomination as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, concurrently naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting NSA  . Waltz, who drew criticism after a Signal‑chat security lapse in March, leaves a vacancy at a pivotal moment in U.S. cyber and diplomatic policy.

• Rubio as Interim NSA: Rubio assumes dual roles—continuing as Secretary of State while coordinating national‑security strategy for the White House. His interim assignment highlights the administration’s reliance on experienced political hands to manage complex, hybrid crises that blend diplomacy, intelligence, and cyber operations.

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2. The NSA Role: Political Leadership with Cyber Imperative

2.1. Orchestrating Hybrid Crises

Recent Russian probes of U.S. power grids and Iranian‑affiliated cyberattacks on Gulf ports in early 2025 demonstrate that cyber incidents rapidly escalate into full‑blown diplomatic and military flashpoints. The NSA must orchestrate State Department démarches, DoD defensive deployments, and White House communications within hours—tasks requiring political dexterity more than pure technical expertise.

2.2. Capitol Hill Navigation

With the 119th Congress debating a Cybersecurity Authorization Act that would significantly expand CISA’s authorities—but impose rigorous oversight requirements—a politically seasoned NSA is indispensable for forging bipartisan consensus on funding levels, civil‑liberties safeguards, and emergency prerogatives.

2.3. Alliance Management

At the recent “Five Eyes Plus” summit in Canberra, divergences emerged over data‑sharing protocols with Quad partners. An NSA grounded in alliance politics can translate summit communiqués into binding operational frameworks, reinforcing collective cyber defenses and joint R&D.

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3. Core Cyber Fluency Requirements

While the permanent NSA should not be a technocrat, they must possess:

• Strategic Cyber Doctrine Comprehension: Familiarity with concepts such as “persistent engagement” (U.S. Cyber Command’s posture), thresholds for public attribution, and calibrated offensive‑defensive options.

• Tech Trend Awareness: Insight into AI‑driven intrusion tools, the security implications of 5G/6G rollouts, and the future impact of quantum cryptanalysis on U.S. encryption standards.

• Public‑Private Crisis Coordination: Understanding that critical sectors (energy, finance, healthcare) are largely privately owned, necessitating pre‑negotiated playbooks and incentive structures for rapid threat response.

This fluency empowers the NSA to translate technical cyber realities into coherent policy recommendations and integrate cyber considerations seamlessly into broader strategic plans.

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4. Institutional Recommendations for 2025 and Beyond

To cement the fusion of political leadership and cyber prowess:

1. Permanent NSA Selection Criteria: By mid‑May 2025, the President should nominate a candidate with extensive national‑security policy experience (e.g., a former NSC principal or senior Senate national‑security staffer) who has also co‑chaired high‑level cyber initiatives or legislative working groups.

2. Cyber Strategy Council Under the NSA: Issue a Presidential Memorandum by May 15 mandating that the interagency Cyber Strategy Council report directly to the NSA, with quarterly “golden‑hour” crisis simulations involving DOE, DHS, DOD, and private‑sector operators.

3. NSC Cyber Deputies: Embed senior directors from CISA, U.S. Cyber Command, and the Intelligence Community as permanent deputy advisors within the NSC staff, empowered to flag policy gaps and ensure technical feasibility.

4. Congressional Liaison Office: Establish an NSC‑managed liaison office in the Capitol by the summer recess to shepherd cyber‑related legislation—aligning executive strategy with congressional drafting and oversight.

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5. Anticipated Impacts on U.S. and Global Security

• Integrated Deterrence: Political‑cyber synchronization will deter adversaries more effectively by signaling unified consequences—combining sanctions, espionage countermeasures, and calibrated cyber responses.

• Alliance Strengthening: U.S. leadership in operationalizing “Five Eyes Plus” commitments will foster deeper intelligence‑sharing, joint exercises, and harmonized standards for network defense.

• Infrastructure Resilience: Continuous public‑private engagement, driven from the NSC, will accelerate adoption of zero‑trust architectures and supply‑chain security protocols across critical sectors.

• Norm‑Setting Diplomacy: A cyber‑fluent political NSA can spearhead a U.S. initiative to revive and expand the Budapest Convention framework at the U.N. by late 2025—establishing clear international norms against state‑sponsored cyber aggression.

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6. Conclusion

Michael Waltz’s move to the U.N. and Marco Rubio’s interim stewardship illuminate the administration’s preference for political veterans at the helm of national‑security decision‑making. As the permanent successor is chosen, the next National Security Advisor must be first and foremost a political security specialist whose expertise encompasses the cyber realm. By embedding deep cyber fluency within a proven political operative—and by reinforcing institutional structures accordingly—President Trump can guide the United States through a decade of escalating digital threats, while shaping a secure global cyber order.