Trump names ambassadors Kimberly Guilfoyle and Tom Barrack, along with five other picks

President-elect Donald Trump posted a series of announcements on his Truth Social account Tuesday evening, including the nomination of Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece and Tom Barrack as ambassador to Turkey.

Guilfoyle, a former Trump fundraiser and former Fox News host, currently has an established relationship with Donald Trump Jr.

In announcing his position, Trump wrote“For many years, Kimberly has been a close friend and ally. Her extensive experience and leadership in law, media and politics, along with her keen intellect, make her extremely qualified to represent the United States and safeguard its interests abroad.

The message also said: “Kimberly is perfectly positioned to foster strong bilateral relations with Greece, advancing our interests on issues ranging from defense cooperation to trade and economic innovation.”

Tom Barrack is a longtime friend of Trump’s who chaired his first inaugural committee — and he was notably acquitted of federal charges accusing him of illegal foreign lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.

Barrack was indicted during the first Trump administration and campaign, in 2021. During his trial, he was accused by federal prosecutors of acting as a foreign agent but failing to register between 2016 and 2018 when he allegedly tried to “leverage his access” to Trump with his contacts in the United Arab Emirates.

A jury found him not guilty of all charges – which also included conspiracy, obstruction and lying to the FBI – in November 2022.

Trump then welcomed Barrack’s acquittal, declaring in a statement: “Excellent news for our country, freedom and democracy: this businessman Tom Barrack, who should never have been indicted or tried, has just “be acquitted of all charges”.

Barrack’s testimony during the trial was at times critical of Trump. He said on the witness stand that his political support for Trump was “disastrous” for him professionally, at one point mocking Trump’s understanding of the Middle East.

“This astonishingly good businessman became the president of the United States who couldn’t handle the Middle East,” Barrack said.

Asked about his criticism of Trump at the time of the acquittal, Barrack told ABC News, “I’m just done with politics.”

In announcing his post as ambassador to Türkiye on Tuesday, Trump said that Barrack is “a highly respected and experienced voice of reason.”

The president-elect also announced his duties at the Federal Trade Commission. He named Andrew Ferguson president and Mark Meador commissioner.

“Andrew has a proven track record of standing up to big tech censorship and protecting free speech in our great country. Sworn in as Commissioner on April 2, 2024, he will be able to fight on behalf of the American people from day one of my administration,” Trump wrote in his statement.

THE job continued, “Andrew will be the most American and pro-innovation FTC chairman in our nation’s history.”

For Meador, Trump listed a series of degrees and accomplishments in the announcement message.

At the Office of Management and Budget, Trump announced Congressman Dan Bishop as deputy director and Ed Martin as chief of staff.

For Bishop, he job“Dan has been a tireless fighter for our MAGA movement in the House of Representatives, on the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. Dan will implement my agenda of cost cutting and deregulation across all agencies and eliminate the Militarized Deep State.”

“Ed is a winner who will help make America great again!” he wrote for Martin.

Finally, Trump announced that Jacob Helberg would serve as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment in the State Department.

In his post to Truth SocialTrump said: “In this role, Jacob will be a champion of our ‘America First’ foreign policy. He will guide the State Department’s economic policy, promoting America’s economic security and growth, as well as American technological dominance abroad. Jacob is a successful technology executive, has the knowledge, expertise, and pragmatism to advance America’s economic interests abroad, and always puts AMERICA first! »

Helberg is a former Democrat who has gone from little-known technology adviser to rising star in Trump circles, widely known as a China hawk and as a leading supporter of the bill that could lead to the ban on TikTok in the United States.

He is a commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission, and he helped build support on Capitol Hill for the bill that would ban TikTok if it isn’t sold by his company Chinese mother by January 19, 2025.

After Biden signed the TikTok bill earlier this year, Helberg posted photos of himself with several powerful members of Congress, including President Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, thanking them for being ” truly exceptional people who can come together when our safety. is at stake.”

Helberg called TikTok “Chinese weapon of war» in August, and he has already published a book called “The Wires of War”. The 2021 book discusses the technology-fueled wars that will shape the global balance of power in the coming century, arguing that “without a strong partnership with government, Silicon Valley is incapable of protecting democracy from autocrats who seek to sabotage it, from Beijing to Moscow and Tehran.

Helberg’s harsh criticism of TikTok could conflict with Trump’s promise to “save” TikTok, even though Trump tried to ban the app during his first administration.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance “have developed an aggressive agenda to confront the twin convulsions of technological and geopolitical change and ensure that America wins the economic contests that define this century,” Helberg said. written the after Trump announced his nomination on Tuesday.

“The State Department will play a critical role in implementing this vision,” his message continued. “I look forward to winning the support of the United States Senate and working with @MarcoRubio to implement President Trump’s agenda.”

In previous years, Helberg and her husband were “significant supporters” of Ron DeSantis and later reportedly shifted their fundraising support to Nikki Haley in 2023.

However, by the middle of the following year, Helberg had personally contributed $844,600 to the Trump 47 Committee, Inc. and an additional $1 million to the Make America Great Again, Inc. super PACs, according to filing data made available by the FEC.