Donald Trump has chosen his former acting U.S. attorney general, Matt Whitaker, to serve as the U.S. ambassador to NATO, the Western alliance that Trump has expressed skepticism about for years.
Trump said in a statement that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.”
The choice of Whitaker, who has no evident foreign policy or national security experience, is unusual for the position, which typically requires a strong background in diplomacy, politics, or the military.
Whitaker served as acting attorney general between November 2018 and February 2019, during the final stages of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. He was chief of staff to Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, before being picked to replace him after Sessions was fired.
Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, a former supreme allied commander of NATO, said the ambassador’s position is “incredibly important” within the U.S. and NATO security framework, as the direct representative of U.S. presidents in decision-making within the alliance.
“The bottom line is they are looked to have the credibility of the president when they speak,” Breedlove said.
Whitaker has little evident foreign policy or national security experience, making him an unknown to many in U.S. security circles.
Previous ambassadors to NATO have generally had years of diplomatic, political or military experience. Trump’s first-term NATO ambassador, former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, did not, although she had been involved in foreign policy issues while in Congress.
Trump, as president, eventually endorsed NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, which states that an armed attack against one or more of its members shall be considered an attack against all members. But he often depicted NATO allies as leeches on the U.S. military and openly questioned the value of the military alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades.
In the years since, he has continued to threaten not to defend NATO members that fail to meet spending goals.
Earlier this year, Trump said that, when he was president, he warned NATO allies that he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that are “delinquent.”
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general at the time, said in response that “any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.”
NATO reported earlier this year that, in 2023, 11 member countries met the benchmark of spending 2% of their GDP on defense and that that number had increased to 18 in early 2024 — up from just three in 2014. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has spurred additional military spending by some NATO members.
Trump has often tried to take credit for that increase, and bragged that, as a result of his threats, “hundreds of billions of dollars came into NATO,” even though countries do not pay NATO directly.
Whitaker has faced questions about his past business dealings, including his ties to an invention-promotion company that was accused of misleading consumers.
The Wall Street Journal in 2018 published an email revealing an FBI investigation into the company, World Patent Marketing Inc. The July 10, 2017, email was from an FBI victims’ specialist to someone who, the newspaper said, was an alleged victim of the company. A Justice Department spokeswoman told the newspaper at the time that Whitaker was “not aware of any fraudulent activity.”
Those selected for the NATO job in recent years have included retired Gen. Douglas Lute, the current U.S. 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.
Conclusion
The choice of Matt Whitaker as the U.S. ambassador to NATO is a surprise given his lack of experience in foreign policy and national security. However, Trump believes that Whitaker’s background in law enforcement and his loyalty to the president will serve him well in the role.
FAQs
Q: What is the role of the U.S. ambassador to NATO?
A: The U.S. ambassador to NATO serves as the direct representative of the U.S. president in decision-making within the alliance.
Q: What is NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause?
A: Article 5 states that an armed attack against one or more of its members shall be considered an attack against all members.
Q: What is the significance of the 2% GDP benchmark for NATO member countries?
A: The 2% GDP benchmark is a guideline for NATO member countries to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense.
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