Trump nominates Sergio Gor as US ambassador to India: Signals this sends, in 4 points

Who is Sergio Gor, and what signal does his nomination as ambassador to India send? When is he likely to arrive in India? We explain, in four points.

Who is Sergio Gor?

Gor has been associated with Trump for a long time, in various capacities. In his current role, he has been known for strictly vetting Presidential appointees for loyalty to Trump. He was famously called a “snake” by Elon Musk after the man the SpaceX founder was pushing as NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, lost out on the job because of a file Gor had put together, showing the details of Isaacman’s donations to Democrats.

Before this, Gor ran a political action committee supporting Trump ahead of the 2024 elections. He has also worked closely with Donald Trump Jr, the President’s eldest son. Trump Jr. and Gor in October 2021 founded Winning Team Publishing, a conservative publishing house, which published several books about Trump.

According to US media reports, Gor was born in Uzbekistan in 1986 in the erstwhile Soviet Union. His surname was originally Gorokhovsky, which he shortened.

What is unique about Sergio Gor’s nomination?

Along with being nominated as the ambassador to India, Gor has also been appointed Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. According to its official website, “The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs oversees US foreign policy and US relations with the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.”

These two posts being clubbed together is unusual, and it is not yet clear what this will mean for India.

When will Sergio Gor come to New Delhi?

This could take some time. After the US President formally submits an ambassador nominee’s name to the US Senate, its Foreign Relations Committee reviews the nomination, which could include holding hearings. After the committee approves the President’s pick, the full Senate votes on it. The appointment is considered confirmed only after the Senate vote is through.

In Garcetti’s case, this process took almost two years, due to sexual harassment allegations against his aide Rick Jacobs.

What will Sergio Gor’s appointment mean for India?

If one were to go by Trump’s own words, the signals can be read both ways. “For the most populous Region in the World, it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my Agenda and help us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he posted on Truth Social. Given that Trump is irked with New Delhi over its trade with Russia and its refusal to open up the agri sector to US imports, it is not clear what his “Agenda” is.

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State who is generally considered pro-India, posted on X, “I am excited about the Presidents decisions to nominate @SergioGor to be our next Ambassador to India. He will be an excellent representative of America in one of the most important relationships our nation has in the world.”

Others suggested that Gor’s closeness to Trump would add weight to negotiations with India.

The American news website Politico quoted an anonymous “person familiar with the matter” as saying, “The president is sending a powerful signal to the Modi government by sending an envoy that is very personally close to him. Sergio is a clear signal that the negotiations need to be serious and that all messages come from the president.”

The same Politico report quoted Steve Bannon, Trump’s former senior adviser, as saying that Gor has “walk-in privileges to the president”. “Does he have a deep knowledge base of the Indian policy issues? He doesn’t, but this guy’s a quick study. He not just has access to the president…but he has a unique trust. The president trusts this guy, that he’s dealing with him straight,” Bannon said.