While I think this is a great idea, I can’t imagine this ending well for Huntsman.
The guy is one of our few Chinese-fluent diplomats. Why not put him in China again?
Wouldn’t Huntsman be the first experienced professional Trump has nominated at State?
Conflict of interest?
A good pick but not sure why Huntsman would want to time himself to this shitty administration.
Because that would make sense. Much like appointing Carson as Surgeon General as opposed to being Head of Urban Housing.
On second thought, it’s probably a really good idea bewildered Ben isn’t Surgeon General.
Huntsman will find himself in conflict with Trump undercutting his efforts, sewing confusion, and keeping him out of the loop. Trump is shitty at communicating and establishing coherent, intelligent policy. (I am laughing at myself. Did I make that self-evident statement? LOL!!)
Huntsman would be stupid to take this position. He also proved to be way way over his head when he was ambassador to China.
Is he taking these positions in hopes of spreading the Mormon empire? That could be a plausible explanation.
His 80 plus year old father owns a huge business in Russia, from which he benefits and which he stands to inherit. Only in the current administration would he be nominated ambassador to Russia.
Bad decision on Huntsman’s part, and even worse because of the business conflicts. However, I do think he is a cut above the average unqualified, ass-kissing Trumpster, FWIW.
I was, honestly, surprised when the man endorsed Trump with little to no hesitation (he did say the candidate should drop out after Access Hollywood, but then he’s a Mormon).
Huntsman is the son of a billionaire industrialist whose company Huntsman International LLC currently has a handful of businesses in Russia, including plants that make pigments and polyurethanes, the Salt Lake Tribune has reported.
And this might be one significant reason. We need to know more about it.
Wanna take bets on how long he lasts in the position?
o/t - kind of - Interesting piece in Foreign Policy Magazine: The Seven Circles of Donald’s Russian Inferno
In the initial press release announcing his nomination the White House misspelled Huntsman’s first name as “John.”
Second time’s always the charm in the “fine-tuned machine” that is the White House Press Ofice.
(typo intentional)
Because Huntsman already finished the China job.
Jon Huntsman called to see me. I said no, he gave away our country to China! @JonHuntsman
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2012
Trump figures, who better than this accomplished professional country-giver-awayer to head up our team in Moscow?
father - Jon M. Huntsman Sr. (born June 21, 1937) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals
Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) a company with 9.657 billion in revenue in 2016 - announced in 2012 that it has acquired the remaining ownership of Russian joint venture Huntsman NMG (HNMG), giving it full ownership of the company.
Sources indicate the revenue of the Russian subsidiary of the American Corporation in 2015 amounted to 1.52 billion RUB, (revenue of $ 25.7 Million $)
Oh good, another grown up at a critical diplomatic juncture. I’m going to guess that Tillerson requested him.
So far Tillerson and Mattis have performed as well as could have hoped. On critical issues, they have at least applied pressure in the right direction (Mattis against torture and Tillerson for staying in the Paris Accord), if not always successful in the end.
For all the problems with Russia, they sit on on huge nuclear stockpile and have one of the most powerful conventional forces in the world, We have to engage with them intelligently to avoid any seriously bad outcomes which neither country wants ( A mishap in Syria which actually leads to one of us shooting down the others jets for instance).
Huntsman’s going to sit in a very nice office, twiddling his thumbs. For sure, The Donald isn’t going to let him do anything worthwhile about his pals the Russians.
“They also serve who only sit and get bored out of their skulls.”
…Think he’s stupid enough to take it?
It was somewhat befuddling for a Republican of any competence or provenance to accept a position from Trump even in January. Now, it would be out-and-out baffling, especially a position so fraught with inherent legal risk as acting as the formal go-between of Trump and Putin.