While Sergio Gor is in touch with India through diplomatic channels, Washington insiders call him one of the most powerful men in the Trump administration.
The appointment of Tashkent-born Sergio Gor as US Ambassador to India and India-anchored Special Envoy to South and Central Asia Affairs is a significant development as the incoming envoy is in the trust zone of President Donald Trump and has a direct line to White House. He is 38 years old and die-hard supporter of President Trump.
US based interlocutors portray this India anchored engagement with South and Central Asia positively and a strong gesture to India’s relevance in the region. While many a Pakistan infatuated commentators equate the appointment of Sergio Gor to that of once upon a time Washington based US envoy to Afghanistan-Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, fact is that the incoming envoy will be New Delhi based with the broad objective to understand Indian sub-continent and Central Asia.
Simply put, Sergio Gor is what Dr P K Mishra is to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when it comes to government appointments but with strong MAGA ideological moorings. He is currently also involved in political appointments cleared by White House as Director Personnel and has direct access to US President Trump. He will remain in the role of Director Personnel until his confirmation as the next envoy to India.
While Gor is in touch with India through diplomatic channels, Washington insiders call him one of the most powerful men in the Trump administration, who has already appointed 1000 Trump administration staffers with another 3000 to go. Washington insiders call Gor the Rahm Emanuel of Obama administration as he is one of the key players of the Trump inner circle. Rahm was the Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, Mayor of Chicago and US ambassador to Japan during the previous Biden administration.
Even though India-US relations are going through a difficult patch right now due to Trump tariffs on India and stalled negotiations on the trade deal, the appointment of Gor as next US envoy to India has been taken as a positive sign by Indian diplomats. It also indicates the importance of India in President Trump’s foreign policy and at the same time it shows that the US President will have real time unvarnished feedback of India.
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