Political Appointments and US-EU Relations

Diplomatic credentials? Optional. Deep pockets and loyalty to Trump? Essential.

As Donald Trump rolls out his picks for U.S. ambassador posts in Europe — think fast-food executives, Broadway producers, billionaire donors and family insiders — one thing is clear: this isn’t traditional statecraft.

Take Andrew Puzder, the former fast-food CEO and future U.S. ambassador to the EU (pending Senate confirmation). Like many of Trump’s nominees, he has no diplomatic experience but only strong political and business ties.

Of course, Trump isn’t the first president to favor political appointees over career diplomats — Democrats do it too. But is this just business as usual, or does Trump’s selection signal a deeper shift in U.S. foreign policy?

Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO; Suzanne Lynch, author of POLITICO’s Global Playbook; and POLITICO's labor reporter based in Washington, D.C., Nick Niedzwiadek, to break it all down. Will economic interests take precedence over diplomacy? Will these new ambassadors help maintain transatlantic ties — or, as Daalder puts it, will they be forces of destruction?

For more insights from Ivo Daalder, check out his podcast, World Review with Ivo Daalder. Listen here.

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