New Delhi: President Donald Trump announced the appointment of the new US ambassador to India. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, the president stated that he had appointed Sergio Gor to be the US envoy to India as he needed someone he could fully “trust to deliver on my Agenda and help us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
“I am pleased to announce that I am promoting Sergio Gor to be our next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs,” said Trump, who stated that Gor would take over the role once his confirmation came through.
Emphasising Gor’s closeness to him, Trump said Sergio was 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.
Sergio’s role as Director of Presidential Personnel has been essential to delivering on the unprecedented Mandate that we received from the American people.”
Key people in the Trump administration also endorsed the president’s choice.
Tweeting on X, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Gor would be “an excellent representative of America in one of the most important relationships our nation has in the world.” Vice-President JD Vance followed suit. “Sergio is a great guy and will make a fantastic ambassador for our country to India.” Gor also reacted to the news through a statement on social media where he said he was “beyond grateful” for Trump’s “incredible trust and confidence” in him. “Nothing has made me prouder than to serve the American people through the GREAT work of this Administration,” he wrote. “It will be the honour of my life to serve the United States.” Trump’s appointment of Gor fills a vacuum that had been in the US mission in India for some time. Former US Ambassador Eric Garcetti concluded his role on January 20 this year, and there has been no US envoy in India since.
Gor’s appointment could change that, and given the fact that he has a direct line to Trump, some believe he could mend the recently frayed ties between New Delhi and Washington. Trump’s former political strategist and key MAGA figure Steve Bannon believes Gor’s appointment is good news for India. In an interview with Politico, he stated that his closeness to the president will help both countries. “I believe Sergio is the only person outside of [chief of staff] Susie [Wiles] and a handful of others who actually has walk-in privileges to the president at any time, day or night,” Bannon said. “If I’m [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi in India—and I say this as somebody that’s so pro that relationship—I couldn’t think of a better pick.
Little is known about Gor in Indian circles, with some senior diplomats claiming they had not heard of him before. Questions have been raised about his lack of India experience and his ability to navigate a crisis. Senior diplomats say at a time when the relationship is under strain—trade frictions, questions over defense cooperation, and shifting alignments in the Indo-Pacific—the choice of a political aide without regional expertise is a bellwether.
“New Delhi requires an envoy who can navigate complexity with authority and experience. Washington has signalled that personal trust with the President matters more than diplomatic heft. This means positioning one of America’s most consequential partnerships within the uncertainties of transactional calculation,” said a senior diplomat.
