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US President Donald Trump nominated Sergio Gor to take over as ambassador to India. The announcement was made on August 22. Gor currently serves as Director of the Presidential Personnel Office (PPO). As PPO chief, he is responsible for vetting thousands of political appointments to the federal government.
Trump has also named Gor as the US Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. While the envoy role only requires presidential appointment, Gor’s nomination as ambassador has to be confirmed by the US Senate.
Gor will remain in his post as PPO chief until his ambassadorial role is confirmed, Trump said.
Gor’s nomination comes at a time when US-India relations have been mired in controversy over Trump’s tariffs and his alleged involvement in brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
Announcing the nomination, Trump said on TruthSocial that he is “pleased” with his decision. “For the most populous region in the world [India], it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my agenda and help us MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Sergio will make an incredible ambassador,” Trump stated.
The US President further said, “Sergio is a great friend who has been at my side for many years. He worked on my historic presidential campaigns, published my best-selling books, and ran one of the biggest super PACs, which supported our movement.”
A super PAC, or a political action committee, raises funds for US federal elections.
Claiming that Gor had hired nearly 4,000 “America First Patriots” across federal departments, Trump added, “Sergio’s role as Director of Presidential Personnel has been essential to delivering on the unprecedented mandate that we received from the American people.”
As PPO chief, Gor functioned as a recruiter, making executive appointments on Trump’s behalf. The PPO takes the lead in identifying candidates who require the president’s direct approval to be appointed.
Gor responded to his nomination saying he was “beyond grateful” to Trump. “Nothing has made me prouder than to serve the American people through the GREAT work of this administration! Our White House has achieved historic results in MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! It will be the honour of my life to represent the United States!” he added.
Gor has previously been described as “the most powerful man you have never heard of” by US media and is a close advisor to Trump. Ahead of the presidential elections, Gor headed super PACs such as MAGA Inc. and Right for America.
He began his political career in 2008, garnering support for late Republican Senator John McCain. He has also worked for Fox News, booking guests on shows. He has worked with other Republican leaders, including Rand Paul, Steve King, and Randy Forbes.
In 2021, Gor and Donald Trump Jr founded Winning Team, a Conservative publishing house that has released several books, including Letters to Trump and Save America.
Gor is reportedly known to Trump’s inner circle as the ‘mayor’ of Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.
The Washington Post reports that Gor remained loyal after Trump lost the elections in 2020, even hosting MAGA DJ parties across Palm Beach, Florida.
In June, former SpaceX CEO and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk referred to Gor as a “snake”. Musk was responding to reports that Gor had not submitted his own paperwork required for permanent security clearance, despite his role in vetting other appointees.
The New Yorker broke the news in June that Gor had failed to submit his Standard Form 86 (SF-86). The more than 100-page document contains questions required for security clearances, including a candidate’s place of birth.
The New Yorker report also said that no notarised documents could be obtained to support Gor’s claim that he was born in Malta.
In July, the Organized Crime and Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Maltese Times jointly reported that Gor was born as Sergio Gorokhovsky in Soviet Uzbekistan.