Trump Nominates Sergio Gor as US Ambassador to India, Special Envoy for South and Central Asia

WASHINGTON D.C. – President Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate close aide Sergio Gor as the next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India, concurrently appointing him as Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. The announcement, made by Trump on Truth Social on August 22, 2025, highlights Gor's significant role within the administration, particularly his oversight of presidential personnel.

In his social media post, President Trump stated, > "I am pleased to announce that I am promoting Sergio Gor to be our next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India, and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. As Director of Presidential Personnel, Sergio and his team have hired nearly 4,000 America First Patriots across various departments of the Federal Government in record time."

Gor, a long-time confidant of Trump, has served as Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, a role that involved vetting thousands of government appointments. His background includes co-founding Winning Team Publishing with Donald Trump Jr., which published two of the former president's books, underscoring his deep ties to the Trump family and inner circle.

The dual appointment comes at a sensitive time for US-India relations, which have recently faced strains over issues such as US tariffs on Indian goods and India's continued purchase of Russian oil. Analysts suggest the nomination of a figure with direct access to President Trump, rather than a career diplomat, signals a shift in diplomatic strategy.

The decision to combine the ambassadorship with the special envoy role for South and Central Asia has drawn mixed reactions. While some, like former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, see Gor's direct line to the president as beneficial for India, others express concern. Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, for instance, noted on X that this dual mandate "means he will have a much wider mandate covering the jurisdiction of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the State Dept. Ipso facto he will be supervising India’s relationship within this region."

Sibal and other experts view this as a potential "re-hyphenation" of India and Pakistan, a diplomatic approach India has historically resisted. The appointment requires Senate confirmation, during which Gor is expected to remain in his current White House role. His nomination signals a potentially more direct and politically driven approach to US diplomacy in a strategically vital region.