Staff Reports
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz gave a guided walk through the United Nations’ famed Hall of Flags and even handed out a “MUNGA” cap — a tongue-in-cheek, blue-and-white riff on the MAGA hat — in a recent on-camera tour that made clear this administration intends to shake up the stale corridors of international bureaucracy. The stroll through the artwork and flags wasn’t sightseeing; it was a statement that America will no longer quietly bankroll dysfunction while global elites lecture us from the lectern.
The imagery matters: a seasoned Green Beret turned diplomat, standing amid the parade of nations and offering a “Make the U.N. Great Again” message, is exactly the kind of bold symbolism conservatives have been waiting for. It signals that this administration prefers leverage and results over empty platitudes, and that reclaiming influence at multilateral institutions will be done on American terms.
Waltz’s presence at the UN comes after a contentious confirmation process that finally filled the last vacancy in President Trump’s cabinet this September, a Senate vote that split largely along party lines but nonetheless sent a clear message: the U.S. intends to lead, not apologize. His confirmation closes a chapter of uncertainty and puts a reliable America First voice in a place long dominated by liberal careerists and internationalist consensus.
He hasn’t been shy about using the only language some international institutions understand — dollars and consequences — claiming real budget and personnel cuts and pushing the Secretary-General for structural reform. Whether you cheer every specific percentage or not, the larger point is that withholding funds until the UN cleans house is the kind of tough-minded diplomacy that puts American taxpayers and national interest first.
Yes, Waltz arrived with baggage — critics seized on a Signal chat controversy from earlier this year when he briefly served as national security adviser — but the Senate’s decision to confirm him shows that competence, conviction, and a willingness to confront the UN’s problems outweighed the Washington noise machine’s attempts at character assassination. The political class can scream, but results on the ground and a clearer U.S. posture at the UN are what ultimately matter.
Make no mistake: this is about more than ego or slogans. It is a strategic pivot to use American influence to block predatory standards, counter China’s creeping power in global institutions, and insist that global governance serve national sovereignty and prosperity. That is a conservative foreign policy in practice — firm, unapologetic, and oriented toward securing advantage for the nation rather than placating global elites.
If the United Nations is to survive and be useful, it must be forced back to its founding purpose of peace and stability rather than turned into an arm of progressive activism or a playground for rival powers. Waltz’s tour down the Hall of Flags and his plainspoken “MUNGA” message are a welcome beginning: a reminder that America can and should use its leverage to demand accountability, respect, and results from international institutions.
