On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump made an unusual announcement about his new diplomatic appointee, Morgan Ortagus, using his Truth Social platform. In his post, Trump seemed to criticize Ortagus, the newly appointed Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, while still claiming that she would deliver “great results” for the country.
Trump wrote that Morgan Ortagus had “fought” him for three years but hoped she had “learned her lesson.” He added that he was making the appointment not for himself but for the Republican Party, mentioning that she had strong Republican support. He expressed hope that she would be a valuable asset to Steven Witkoff, who also plays a key role in Middle East peace efforts. Trump acknowledged her experience in diplomacy, calling her a U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer and highlighting her previous work as a spokesperson at the State Department under former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Ortagus had been part of the team that helped bring about the Abraham Accords, a landmark agreement that improved relations between several Middle Eastern countries and Israel. Additionally, Ortagus worked in the Department of the Treasury as a financial intelligence analyst and had served as the Deputy U.S. Treasury Attaché in Saudi Arabia from 2010 to 2011.
Despite these achievements, Trump’s relationship with Ortagus has been complicated. While she had once been endorsed by Trump for a congressional race in Tennessee in 2022, he withdrew his support after she publicly criticized him, including calling his behavior in his personal life “disgusting” and criticizing his foreign policy approach. Still, Ortagus has largely supported Trump’s policies, although some of his supporters have not forgiven her for her earlier anti-Trump remarks.
In his announcement, Trump concluded with a somewhat sarcastic note, saying, “Good luck Morgan!” despite his mixed praise. This adds another layer to their complex political relationship, which has seen its fair share of twists and turns.
