14 top Trump inaugural donors were nominated for ambassador jobs
President Trump's nominee to be America's ambassador to Iceland had never been to the country. His pick for Slovenia shared fake far-right posts on Facebook. And his choice for the Bahamas didn't even know the islands weren't part of the U.S.
So how did these seemingly random people get tapped for such major government positions? It could be because they — along with 11 other questionable nominees — all gave an average of $350,000 each to President Trump's inaugural committee, NBC News reports.
In a report published Wednesday, NBC News looked through inaugural donors and found that 14 of them were eventually chosen for ambassador jobs. The most alarming pick was for the United Arab Emirates, a country smack dab in the center of the Middle East. Past presidents always picked career diplomats for that "sensitive" post, but Trump chose "a wealthy real estate developer with no diplomatic experience," NBC News says. That nominee, John Rakolta, gave $250,000 to Trump's inaugural committee and has yet to be confirmed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rakolta isn't alone. Five other donors turned nominees have spent months waiting for Senate confirmation votes, NBC News recounts. And of the approximately 250 ambassadorships the U.S. has altogether, 52 of them are sitting empty. For comparison, former President Barack Obama had 11 empty spots at this point in his presidency, while former President George W. Bush had 15.
It's "not unusual for a president to offer plum posts to wealthy donors," NBC News concedes. But "since the 1950s," political appointees have only made up about a third of all confirmed ambassadors, NBC News says. They make up about half of Trump's crew. Read more at NBC News.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Trump gets $289M break, first criminal trial date
Speed Read The former president's fraud bond has been reduced to $175 million from $464 million
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US-Israel rift widens after UN cease-fire resolution
Speed Read The U.S. declined to veto a U.N. resolution calling for a two-week "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New Jersey first lady exits race to replace Menendez
Speed Read Tammy Murphy dropping out paves the way for Rep. Andy Kim to become the state's next senator
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia blames Ukraine for deadly ISIS Moscow attack
Speed Read Putin has ignored the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the concert hall shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump-RNC pact puts Trump legal bills ahead of GOP
Speed Read The former president has struck a deal with the Republican National Committee to put donations toward his legal bills
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Vietnam president resigns amid scandal
Speed Read Vietnam loses its second president in two years as Vo Van Thuong steps down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas migrant law in limbo after Supreme Court OK
Speed Read The law has been blocked again, mere hours after the Supreme Court allowed the state to arrest migrants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Cubans rally for 'power and food' in rare protests
Speed Read The protests came after 18-hour rolling blackouts and food supply shortages
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published