Trump Ambassador Picks: Who's in His 'Diplomatic Clown Car'
12/23/2024 03:48 PM
Though they have been overshadowed by the rogue's gallery of Cabinet nominees, Donald Trump's ambassador picks for his second term are pretty stunning, too. Presidents regularly use ambassadorships to reward campaign donors and political allies. But Trump is distinguishing himself in two ways: He's announcing nominations at an unusually rapid pace, and many of his picks are exceptionally unqualified. Trump's list includes his daughter's ex-con father-in-law, multiple billionaire pals, and many people with no diplomatic experience whatsoever.
Senate confirmation for the United States's 195 ambassadorships is often a lengthy process. But serious Senate pushback against Trump's ambassador picks seems unlikely, as Republicans will control the next Senate and Democratic lawmakers haven't been raising alarms about the ambassador picks, as veteran foreign-policy analyst Joe Cirincione toldThe Guardian.
"We have a diplomatic clown car that's about to be rolling up at the Capitol with all these idiots waiting to be confirmed — but where's the outrage," he said.
Here are Trump's most notable ambassador picks so far, loosely arranged from most to least outrageous.
Charles Kushner: Ambassador to France
Charles Kushner is the ex-con father of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. The real-estate developer pleaded guilty in 2004 to 16 felony counts of making illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering. Kushner admitted to hiring a sex worker to seduce his brother-in-law, secretly filming the encounter, then showing the tape to his sister. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie famously called this "one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes" he ever prosecuted as U.S. Attorney. Trump pardoned Kushner in 2020, and now he will represent U.S. interests in Paris.
Mike Huckabee: Ambassador to Israel
Mike Huckabee is a former Arkansas governor, two-time presidential candidate, and Evangelical minister. His views on the conflict in the Middle East are radically pro-Israel. He's repeatedly rejected a two-state solution, and he's argued "there's really no such thing as a Palestinian." Huckabee also said in 2017, "There is no such thing as a West Bank — it's Judea and Samaria. There's no such thing as a settlement. They're communities. They're neighborhoods. They're cities. There's no such thing as an occupation."
Kimberly Guilfoyle: Ambassador to Greece
Kimberly Guilfoyle is a former Fox News host turned top Trump fundraiser. But more importantly, she is Donald Trump's Jr.'s fiancée — or was, until their apparent breakup recently. Now Don Jr. is dating socialite Bettina Anderson, and the president-elect is foisting his son's ex on the people of Greece.
Herschel Walker: Ambassador to the Bahamas
Herschel Walker is a college-football legend whose 2022 Senate campaign in Georgia flopped after the pro-life politician was accused of pressuring two women to get abortions, among other scandals involving multiple previously undisclosed children, lying about having a law-enforcement background, and something about vampires.
Tom Barrack: Ambassador to Turkey
Tom Barrack is a billionaire and private-equity executive. In 2021, the Justice Department charged him over allegedly lobbying the Trump campaign on behalf of the United Arab Emirates while pursuing lucrative business deals. He was acquitted a year later. He's a longtime friend of Donald Trump as well as the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Author Michael Wolff described the trio as a "set of nightlife musketeers" in the '80s and '90s.
Tilman Fertitta: Ambassador to Italy
Tilman Fertitta is the billionaire owner of the Houston Rockets and Landry's restaurant group, which oversees brands like the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Morton's the Steakhouse. Fertitta has donated millions to both Democratic and Republican politicians over the years and gave at least $487,300 to the Trump 47 Committee and an unknown sum to Trump's Save America PAC. He's also a former reality-TV star who appeared in CNBC's Billion Dollar Buyer.
David Perdue: Ambassador to China
David Perdue is a businessman, former U.S. senator from Georgia, and a vocal 2020 election denier. Trump recruited Perdue to primary his Republican foe, Georgia governor Brian Kemp, in the 2022 gubernatorial election. Kemp defeated Perdue in a landslide and went on to win a second term. Perdue was the most prolific stock trader during his one term in the Senate. The DOJ investigated him for possible insider trading but ultimately did not bring charges.
Matt Whitaker: Ambassador to NATO
Matt Whitaker was acting U.S. attorney general during the first Trump administration, serving for just a few months until Bill Barr was confirmed in February 2019. His background is in law enforcement, not foreign policy. His views on NATO are unknown.
Leah Francis Campos: The Dominican Republic
Leah Francis Campos is a former CIA case officer and senior adviser for the Western Hemisphere for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. If the last name sounds familiar, that's because she's related to two former Real World cast members who are now in the Trump-Fox News ecosphere. Her sister is Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is married to Sean Duffy, Trump's pick for secretary of Transportation.
Callista Gingrich: Ambassador to Switzerland
Callista Gingrich is the wife of Newt Gingrich, the Trump ally and former House Speaker. Callista was ambassador to the Vatican during Trump's first term.
