No experience in foreign or military affairs? No problem! Meet Matthew Whitaker: Trump’s pick for ambassador to NATO

During his first term in the White House, President-elect Donald Trump ruffled the feathers of the US-NATO allies by demanding that the member states begin paying their fair share, or the US would step back from the organization. Since being defeated by President Joe Biden, NATO has been rebuilt, and the member’s trust in the US has increased as the group has supported Ukraine since Russia escalated its invasion into the country in early 2022. However, political relationships are fragile, and a new US head of state who takes a different approach toward the defensive agreement could further complicate the security situation on the other side of the Atlantic.

Now, the second Trump administration is being formed, and those concerned about the soon-to-be president’s views on NATO will likely not find it comforting that Matthew Whitaker has been named US Ambassador to NATO. Whitaker is largely unknown within the foreign policy space. He served as Trump’s acting Attorney General from November 7, 2018, until February 14, 2019. Before heading to Washington, he was the US Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. In nominating Whitaker, Donald Trump described him as “a strong and loyal Patriot” and said he would work to “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies.”

The Trump administration’s first test in foreign policy

Whitaker is a Trump loyalist, and his defense of the President-elect, given his expertise in domestic law, is likely to be a leading factor in his nomination. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump continued to blast European NATO members who do not spend the recommended quotas on their militaries, assuming that the United States will fill security gaps if the continent falls into crisis. As a man close to Trump, Whitaker will likely use his position to further what the President-elect sees as the US interest in the Transatlatnic organization, with the first test being a possible peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. Trump campaigned to bring the conflict to an end, but precisely what the final agreement between the two countries would look like remains an open question.