2 days ago
6
Donald Trump has named his former acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, to be the US ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) in his upcoming administration.
“Matt is a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended,” Trump said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put AMERICA FIRST.”
Whitaker served as acting attorney general in the first Trump administration after Jeff Sessions was ousted in 2018. He was seen as a partisan loyalist who was critical of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, the Washington Post reports.
He was previously seen as a contender for Trump’s attorney general, according to reports, and said the president-elect is “going to want someone that he knows, likes and trusts”.
Trump’s choice is an unusual one, the Associated Press writes, given that Whitaker’s background is in law enforcement and not in foreign policy.
The Nato post is a particularly sensitive one given Trump’s relationship with the alliance. During his first term, Trump criticized Nato and accused European members of not meeting their commitments to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense.
Earlier this year, Trump warned Nato allies that if re-elected, he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that are “delinquent”.
“‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’” Trump said. “‘No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills’.”
Whitaker has been actively involved with the America First Policy Institute, a right-leaning thinktank that has been working closely with Trump’s campaign to shape policy for his second term, Reuters reports.
