Donald Trump has named former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as the United States’ ambassador to NATO, a key Western alliance that the president-elect has been skeptical of for years.
In a statement, Trump noted that Whitaker was “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” whose behavior “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” as well as “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.”
Whitaker’s appointment as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is unusual, given his background in law enforcement rather than foreign policy. Whitaker had been considered for attorney general, but Trump instead appointed Matt Gaetz, a staunch loyalist who has been viewed as divisive even within his own party.
The NATO post is especially sensitive given Trump’s views on the alliance’s value and his complaints that many members are failing to meet their commitments to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense.
Whitaker is a former United States attorney in Iowa who served as acting Attorney General from November 2018 to February 2019, as special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference was coming to an end.
He previously served as chief of staff to Jeff Sessions, Trump’s first attorney general, before being chosen to succeed Sessions after Sessions was fired amid lingering outrage over his decision to withdraw from the Russia investigation.
Whitaker held the position for several months, acting without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed as attorney general in February 2019.
Whitaker has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s federal criminal cases, which appear to be on the verge of being dropped following his election victory.
Whitaker has used regular appearances on Fox News to join other Republicans in condemning what they see as the Justice Department’s politicization over the last four years.
Whitaker lacks obvious foreign policy or national security experience, making him unknown to many in US security circles.
Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, a former supreme allied commander of NATO, stated that the ambassador’s position was “incredibly important” within the US and NATO security frameworks, as it served as the direct representative of US presidents in alliance decision-making.
“The bottom line is they are looked to have the credibility of the president when they speak,” Breedlove pointed out.
Previous NATO ambassadors typically had years of diplomatic, political, or military experience. Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Trump’s first-term NATO ambassador, did not, despite having worked on foreign policy issues while in Congress.
Breedlove stated that a security background was not required for the position, but being perceived as having a direct line to the President was.
“They must be perceived as accurately representing what the president intends. “Having the president’s trust and confidence is the most important aspect of that position,” he said.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump alarmed Western allies by warning that under his leadership, the United States may abandon its NATO treaty commitments and only defend countries that meet the transatlantic alliance’s defense spending targets.
As president, Trump eventually supported NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, which states that any armed attack on one or more of its members is considered an attack on all members.
However, he frequently portrayed NATO allies as leeches on the US military, openly questioning the value of the military alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades.
In the years since, he has repeatedly threatened not to defend NATO members who fail to meet spending targets.
Earlier this year, Trump stated that when he was president, he warned NATO allies that he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” with “delinquent” countries.
“You didn’t pay?” “You’re a delinquent?” Trump recounted saying at a February rally. “No, I wouldn’t protect you. Indeed, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You have to pay. “You have to pay your bills.”
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general at the time, responded, saying, “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.”
NATO reported earlier this year that 11 member countries met the benchmark of spending 2% of their GDP on defense in 2023, and that number had increased to 18 by early 2024, up from only three in 2014. Some NATO members have increased their military spending in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has frequently tried to take credit for the increase, claiming that as a result of his threats, “hundreds of billions of dollars came into NATO,” despite the fact that countries do not pay NATO directly.
Whitaker, as Trump mentioned in his announcement, is a former Iowa football player.
Whitaker has been questioned about his previous business dealings, including his ties to an invention-promotion company that was accused of misleading customers.
In 2018, the Wall Street Journal published an email that revealed an FBI investigation into the company, World Patent Marketing Inc.
The email was sent on July 10, 2017, by an FBI victims’ specialist to someone who, according to the newspaper, was an alleged victim of the company. A Justice Department spokesperson told the newspaper at the time that Whitaker was “not aware of any fraudulent activity.”
In recent years, retired Gen. Douglas Lute, the current US ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, former acting deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, and diplomacy academics who previously served on the National Security Council, such as Ivo Daalder and Kurt Volker, have all been selected for the NATO position.
