The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, has chosen former Attorney General Matt Whitaker as the next ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). A key alliance that Trump has mocked for years.
“Matt is a strong fighter and a dedicated Patriot who will advance and protect the interests of the United States. Matt will strengthen ties with our NATO allies and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability — He will put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement.
Whitaker does not have much experience in foreign policy in his professional experience.
Whitaker first took over the Justice Department on a temporary basis During Trump’s first term in office in November 2018, shortly after the midterm elections, when Trump announced on Twitter that Whitaker would replace Jeff Sessions, That Trump asked him to resign. Served only three months in office Until Bill Barr is confirmed as attorney general.
Prior to acting attorney general, Whitaker served as chief of staff to Sessions when he was attorney general. He previously served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa from 2004 to 2009, appointed by President George W. Bush.
He was He works as the co-chairman of the Center for Law and Justice at the Trump-affiliated America First Policy Institute.
There is Trump long criticismed NATOEurope accuses its allies of not contributing enough to defense spending. He proposed allowing Russia during the election campaign in February “What do they want” to countries that do not pay their “bills”.
When he was nominated for the presidency for the first time in 2016, Trump called NATO “obsolete”..” President of the European Union Commission Ursula von der Leyen he said earlier this year Before leaving office in 2020, Trump told top European officials that he would not help Europe if the US was attacked.
In February, Hillary Clinton warned If Trump is re-elected, he will try to withdraw the United States from NATO. Vice President JD Vance, who criticized the US financing of Ukraine’s war with Russia, This was reported by NBC News Days before this year’s elections, the second Trump administration will “stay in NATO”.
There is Trump he said many times As for Russia’s war in Ukraine, he will negotiate a “win-win” deal as president.
Meanwhile, Whitaker has made some public statements indicating his support for the alliance and Ukraine.
one Fox News interview In 2019, Whitaker was asked how dangerous it would be for the US to say it would only contribute as much to NATO as other countries.
“We are the world’s superpower and only superpower,” he said. “I think we’re always going to have to spend more than our fair share to make sure that democracy and freedom are protected around the world. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean the people we’re allied with have to buy it. You know, kind of ride on our coattails.”
who spoke to Fox Business In 2022, after the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Whitaker said: “There is no doubt now that NATO is in the firing line and people like Poland are feeling the pressure to supply Ukrainian fighters.”
“Poland is next on the list for Putin. I’m sure if the war in Ukraine doesn’t end, it will – it’s already at NATO’s door,” said Whitaker, who supports US heavy-lift shipping. Weapons to Ukraine.
Ryan J. Reilly contributed.