US President Donald Trump on Friday nominated Sergio Gor as the next US ambassador to India. Gor has also been appointed as the Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs, giving him a dual role. This endorsement comes at a critical juncture in U.S.-India relations, which have deteriorated under Trump’s second term due to aggressive trade policies, including a 50% tariff on India’s export to US aimed at pressuring New Delhi over its continued imports of Russian oil amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Sergio Gor, a 38-year-old White House personnel director and longtime Trump loyalist, will replace Eric Garcetti, the previous ambassador appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023. Garcetti, a former mayor of Los Angeles with experience in diplomacy and urban affairs, focused on strengthening economic ties and countering China’s influence in the region during his tenure.
However, Sergio Gor has no diplomatic or foreign policy experience, and he has been appointed as ambassador to India along with the Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. Trump’s decision to nominate Gor appears driven by a desire to install a trusted insider who can enforce his “America First” agenda, including trade pressures, while maintaining a direct line to the White House.
Announcing the decision on Truth Social, Trump said, “Sergio is a great friend, who has been at my side for many years.” On his appointment as ambassador to India, he said, “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. Sergio will make an incredible Ambassador. Congratulations Sergio!”
Gor’s nomination as the Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs underscores the administration’s intent to centralize control over regional policy.
Sergio Gor, born Sergey Gorokhovsky in 1986 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (then part of the Soviet Union), emigrated to the U.S. in 1999. A graduate of George Washington University, he began his career as a Republican activist, supporting John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid, and later served as an aide to Senator Rand Paul and in various roles with the Republican National Committee.
By 2020, Gor had entered Trump’s inner circle, serving as chief of staff for the Trump Victory Finance Committee and as a senior advisor to MAGA Inc., before becoming director of presidential personnel in the current administration.
In this role, he has vetted over 4,000 hires, emphasizing “America First” loyalty. Described by the Trump administration as “most loyal, fearless, and hardworking,” Gor is a seasoned political operative focused on domestic politics, fundraising, and internal vetting.
However, he possesses no prior diplomatic experience or foreign service background, with his exposure to international affairs limited to peripheral involvement in Trump’s campaigns. This lack of expertise has raised eyebrows, particularly given India’s complex geopolitical landscape, including India’s continued close ties with Russia and improving relations with China.
Apart from lack of diplomatic experience, Gor also faced controversies in the past, including being labelled a “snake” by Elon Musk over internal disputes.
Gor’s nomination arrives amid heightened U.S.-India tensions under Trump’s renewed presidency. Trump has imposed a 50% tariff hike on Indian exports, citing India’s refusal to curtail Russian oil purchases as a betrayal amid the Ukraine war. The Trump administration has called it ‘sanctions’.
He has further escalated rhetoric by labelling India a “dead economy” and claiming unsubstantiated credit for averting India-Pakistan conflict, assertions dismissed by Indian government.
These actions have stalled trade negotiations and reversed bipartisan progress in U.S.-India ties, with critics calling it Trump’s “biggest foreign policy mistake.”
Appointing Gor, a career politician with no diplomatic credentials, signals Trump’s strategy to leverage the ambassadorship as an extension of his hostile policies toward India, prioritizing enforcement of tariffs and loyalty to his agenda over traditional relationship-building. Trump surely has no plan to improve ties with India, he wants to continue increasing pressure on Indian government to stop buying from Russia.
While Gor’s direct access to Trump might offer India a backchannel for dialogue, his inexperience risks mishandling sensitive issues like technology transfers, defence cooperation, and Indo-Pacific security. If confirmed by the Senate, a process that could face scrutiny over his past feuds and lack of qualifications, Gor’s tenure may push India further from U.S. orbit.