Jon Huntsman reportedly accepts offer to be ambassador to Russia

Jon Huntsman.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Jon Huntsman, the former Republican governor of Utah and 2012 presidential candidate, has accepted President Trump's offer to become ambassador to Russia, a person close to Huntsman told NBC News Wednesday.

Huntsman has served as an ambassador before — to Singapore under former President George H.W. Bush and China under former President Barack Obama. During the 2016 presidential race, he endorsed Trump, but later called on him to drop out of the race after the Access Hollywood video came out showing Trump boasting about grabbing women without their consent. Trump has said he wants to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Russia, and the appointment comes as allegations swirl surrounding connections between multiple Trump advisers and Russian officials.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.