President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has nominated Sergio Gore (pictured) , director of the White House Office of personnel, as the new Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia. The nomination is still subject to Senate approval. “It is the honor of my life to represent the United States as an ambassador abroad,” Gorre responded in a post on social platform X
Gorre, 38, is considered a “Long-term friend” of Donald Trump and the two are close, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Born in what was then the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, Gorre moved with his family to Malta as a child, where he completed college and became active in Republican politics. As Director of the President’s Office of personnel, Gorre was known for his “Zero-tolerance” approach to job seekers who had criticized Donald Trump, and his hardline approach earned the trust of Trans and his family.
Gorre co-founded a book publishing house with Donald Trump’s son, Donald Jr. , in 2021, and has published a number of books by the president and his political allies. The publishing house became an important source of revenue for Donald Trump after the Capitol riots. However, Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, denounced Gorre as a “Viper” during his tenure as head of the “Ministry of Government Efficiency”, because Gorre vetoed musk’s recommendation for the head of NASA.
Politico’s analysis said Gorre’s nomination was a clear signal from Donald Trump to the Molde FK administration. The Donald Trump administration has strained relations with India by imposing tariffs and threatening punitive measures for its continued purchases of Russian oil. “By sending a special envoy who is extremely close to the president, the president has shown that negotiations must be serious and that all information will come directly from the president himself,” said one source
Indian media reacted cautiously. “The Times of India” 23 published an article, whether the nomination can re-promote communication between India and the United States remains to be seen. The report noted that while the Indian side was pleased to have a interlocutor with direct access to Donald Trump, it was also concerned about the risks that Gorre might pose as a novice with limited experience in the region. However, some supporters of strengthening ties with the US are optimistic. “India will have access to a person who can communicate directly with Donald Trump,” Motwani, a silicon valley venture capitalist, said on Platform X. What has not been resolved in the past few months could be communicated within hours of Gorre taking office.”
The Hindustan Times reports that Gorre will succeed Erich Gassetti, a former US ambassador to India. His term of office ended on 20 January 2025 and the post of Ambassador has remained vacant since then, with Andrews, the chargé d’affaires, acting as the curator.