What to Know About Matthew Whitaker, Trump’s Nominee for NATO Ambassador

Former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker is Donald Trump’s pick to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO, the Western alliance the president-elect once said was in danger of making itself “obsolete.”
In a Nov. 20 statement announcing the nomination, Trump described Whitaker as “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who will “ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended.”
He added that Whitaker would strengthen ties with NATO allies, “stand firm” against threats to peace, and above all, put America first.
“I have full confidence in Matt’s ability to represent the United States with Strength, Integrity, and unwavering Dedication,” Trump said. “I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to promote PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, Freedom, and Prosperity around the World.”
The appointment comes just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for using his nation’s nuclear arsenal. The move followed President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine use U.S.-provided missiles to strike targets in Russian territory.
While in college, Whitaker played the position of tight end for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was a member of the 1990 Big Ten Conference championship team. In 1992, he received the Big Ten Medal of Honor for his academic and athletic achievements.
Whitaker’s decades of legal experience include years in private practice and as a corporate counsel, as well as five years as a U.S. attorney and a few months as acting attorney general.
Trump fired Sessions over the former Alabama senator’s recusal from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of alleged ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Whitaker had spent about a year serving as Sessions’s chief of staff when Trump catapulted him into his former boss’s office. His time as acting attorney general was short-lived, however, ending in February 2019 with Bill Barr’s swearing in. In those few short months, Whitaker oversaw the Justice Department’s rollout of a ban on bump stocks and supervised the Mueller investigation.
In 2002, he was the Republican nominee for Iowa state treasurer. He lost to Democrat Michael Fitzgerald.
Since then, Trump has focused his criticism on other NATO members’ levels of defense spending.
If confirmed by the Senate, Whitaker will replace current Ambassador Julianne Smith. A longtime ally and defender of the president-elect, he will be tasked with serving as Trump’s eyes, ears, and voice on the North Atlantic Council, which includes 31 other countries.