President Donald Trump announced Friday that he would nominate Sergio Gor, one of his closest aides, as the next U.S. ambassador to India.
The move comes at a time of escalating tensions between Washington and New Delhi, as the United States prepares to double tariffs on imports from India next week.
Gor, who currently serves as director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, will also act as a special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs if confirmed. Trump said Gor would remain in his current role until the Senate approves his appointment.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump praised Gor as a trusted ally. “Sergio is a great friend, who has been at my side for many years. He worked on my historic presidential campaigns, published my bestselling books, and ran one of the biggest Super PACs supporting our movement,” Trump wrote. He added that for such a critical region, he needed “someone I can fully trust to deliver on my agenda and help us MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
Relations between the United States and India have grown increasingly fraught under Trump’s renewed trade war. Bilateral talks aimed at lowering tariff rates broke down earlier this year after New Delhi refused to open its agricultural and dairy sectors to U.S. exports. Annual trade between the two countries is valued at more than $190 billion.
On August 27, the U.S. is scheduled to double tariffs on Indian goods, raising duties from 25% to 50%. Trump has framed the decision as punishment for India’s increased purchases of Russian oil, which have surged since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. Notably, the White House has not imposed similar tariffs on China, the largest buyer of Russian crude.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent intensified the criticism earlier this week, accusing India of “profiteering” from cheap Russian oil. In an interview with CNBC, Bessent noted that Russian oil now makes up 42% of India’s imports, compared to less than 1% before the war. By contrast, China has raised its share of Russian oil from 13% to 16%.
Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal struck a conciliatory note Friday, saying New Delhi approaches future trade talks with Washington with a “very open mind.” He emphasized that the U.S.-India economic relationship is “consequential and important” to both countries.
Sergio Gor expressed gratitude for the nomination in a message on X (formerly Twitter). “It would be the honor of my life to represent the United States in this role,” Gor said. His nomination follows years of close work with Trump, from campaign strategy to personnel decisions shaping the president’s second term.
The announcement of Gor’s nomination came hours after U.S. trade negotiators abruptly canceled a planned visit to New Delhi scheduled for August 25–29, underscoring the fragile state of bilateral relations.
If confirmed by the Senate, Gor will face the task of managing one of Washington’s most complex diplomatic challenges: balancing strategic cooperation with India in the Indo-Pacific while navigating sharp disagreements on trade and energy policy. His appointment would signal Trump’s intention to place trusted loyalists in key diplomatic roles at a time when the administration is reshaping U.S. foreign policy through aggressive economic measures.
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