President Trump has filled ambassador positions with an array of loyalists, family members, and political allies during his second term, a practice that has drawn scrutiny and controversy.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, a conservative media personality and former politician, stepped down as ambassador to Greece in October after allegations of misconduct, including promoting the interests of a Greek construction company and soliciting payment for personal expenses. She had assumed the post in November 2025, shortly after ending an engagement to the president’s son. Charles Kushner, a real estate developer and Trump donor who is the father-in-law of Ivanka Trump, has served as ambassador to France and Monaco since July 2025. He was convicted of tax evasion and witness tampering before receiving a pardon from Trump in 2020. Kushner faced controversy earlier this year when he was excluded from a diplomatic meeting after failing to appear for a summons related to his assertions about antisemitism in France.
Other ambassadors appointed to posts have encountered diplomatic friction. Bill White, former president of the Intrepid museum and ambassador to Belgium since November 2025, became involved in disputes with Belgium’s foreign minister over accusations of antisemitism and alleged social media conduct. Pete Hoekstra, a former Republican congressman, has faced backlash in Canada as ambassador since April 2025, with over 200,000 Canadians petitioning for his expulsion. Billy Long, a former auctioneer and congressman appointed to Iceland in August 2026, apologized for making jokes about making Iceland a U.S. state.
Kari Lake, whose nomination as ambassador to Jamaica remains unconfirmed, has drawn criticism from former ambassadors who question her qualifications. Lake has a documented history of promoting election fraud claims and previously headed Voice of America. Nominations for other candidates, including rightwing influencer Nick Adams for Malaysia and former Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib for Kuwait, have been withdrawn or stalled.
As of October, approximately 92 of 196 ambassador positions have been filled, including posts in Cuba and Ukraine. Critics argue that Trump has prioritized loyalty over diplomatic experience, while observers note that appointing donors and allies to ambassadorships has been a longstanding practice among presidents of both parties.
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