Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing trade and tariff tensions between Washington and New Delhi, US President Donald Trump has nominated his close aide Sergio Gor as the next US Ambassador to India, seven months after the incumbent, Eric Garcetti, left as the American envoy.
In June, former close Trump aide, Elon Musk, who clashed with Gor, had denounced him as a “snake.”
Trump also said Gor will serve as a Special Envoy for South and Central Asian affairs.
“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!”
The nomination comes at a sensitive time, with Washington and New Delhi engaged in tariff-related disagreements.
The US President described Gor’s role in the administration as essential in delivering on his political mandate. Trump may also potentially use him to foment more trouble in India and other countries in South and Central Asia.
Currently, Gor is serving as the Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. He will join New Delhi after his confirmation by the US Senate, the media reported.
Announcing the move on Friday through a social media post, Trump described Gor as a “great friend, who has been at my side for many years.”
“I am pleased to announce that I am promoting Sergio Gor to be our next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India,” Trump said.
Gor and his team had overseen the hiring of nearly 4,000 officials across federal departments and agencies, filling more than 95 percent of positions.
Trump credited Gor with playing a key role in his political journey. “Gor has worked on my historic presidential campaigns, published my best-selling books, and ran one of the biggest Super PACs, which supported our movement,” he wrote.
Gor was born on November 30, 1986, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His family moved to Malta and then emigrated to the United States. Gor went to school in Los Angeles and graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC.
As a student, he was active in conservative politics, joined the College Republicans and founded a campus chapter of the Young America’s Foundation.
Gor’s political career began in Republican circles, where he worked with Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Then, he became well connected in Trump’s extended network, forming a close relationship with Donald Trump Jr. The two later co-founded a publishing company.
Gor has been involved in Trump’s political operations since 2020, focusing on fundraising and political action committees. In 2024, he led a pro-Trump super PAC that received strong backing from Isaac Perlmutter, a former Marvel executive and Trump ally.
In June, Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and former Trump administration adviser, publicly branded Gor as a “snake” on X, after a New York Post report claimed that Gor had failed to complete his own background clearance paperwork, despite overseeing vetting for thousands of federal employees. The White House rejected the report, saying Gor’s clearance was active and valid.
According to The Hill, Musk and Gor frequently clashed during Cabinet meetings, with the Tesla CEO openly criticising Gor over personnel decisions. One flashpoint was the nomination of Musk’s ally, Jared Isaacman, to head NASA. Trump later withdrew the nomination before a US Senate vote, reportedly after Gor produced a dossier on Isaacman’s donations to Democrats. The withdrawal fuelled Musk’s anger against Gor, the media reported.
In May, Musk resigned as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a special advisory office focused on cutting federal expenditure. His exit followed a major disagreement with Trump’s administration over a tight budget vote in the House of Representatives.
Gor, in a social media post, said he is “beyond grateful” to Trump for his incredible trust and confidence in nominating him to be the next US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.
“It will be the honour of my life to represent the United States,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance, in a social media post, said Gor “will make a fantastic ambassador for our country to India.”