U.S. President Donald Trump announced today that Mark Brnovich has been appointed as the new U.S. Ambassador to Serbia. He will replace Christopher Hill, whose term ended in January this year.
American media outlets have been covering the appointment of Brnovich.
Politico reminded readers of earlier reports that suggested former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich would be appointed as the new ambassador. The respected outlet had previously reported that Brnovich was being considered for the role of U.S. envoy to a Balkan country.
“Brnovich is not expected to face many obstacles in confirmation, as his views are considered mainstream within the Republican Party and he does not have a particularly controversial background compared to other Trump candidates for diplomatic positions,” Politico wrote.
It adds that it is unclear why Trump chose Brnovich instead of Blagojevich—a Democrat who became a strong supporter of the president and was also said to be under consideration for the ambassador role in Serbia.
Fox News quoted Trump saying, “Mark is a proud veteran of the National Guard, and he was previously the attorney general of the great state of Arizona.”
They also noted that he is married to Suzanne Brnovich, a judge for the U.S. District Court in Arizona.
The Arizona Independent News Network reported that Brnovich’s appointment surprised many Arizona politicians who pointed out that he had been relatively low-profile as a Trump supporter, had not been a significant donor or fundraiser for Trump’s campaign, and had no particular background in international diplomacy.
“Brnovich doesn’t check any of the usual boxes, so he must have someone to defend him in Trump’s world,” said one Arizona politician, according to the media outlet.
Another Arizona outlet, Fox 10, mentioned in its video report that Brnovich “is once again jumping into politics by joining the Trump administration” as the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Serbia.
“As the son of refugees from communism, Mark will be a strong defender of freedom and will always put America first. Congratulations, Mark!” said Trump, according to Fox 10.
