Who is Sergio Gor, Trump's aide nominated to be US Ambassador to India?

President Donald Trump has nominated his longtime aide Sergio Gor as the next US Ambassador to India. He will continue in his White House role until Senate confirmation

US President Donald Trump has nominated his close aide Sergio Gor as the next US Ambassador to India. Gor is currently serving as the Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office.

 

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.

 

Trump also confirmed that Gor will serve as a special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs. He added that Gor and his team had overseen the hiring of nearly 4,000 officials across federal departments and agencies, filling more than 95 per cent of positions. Gor will continue in his current White House role until the Senate confirms his nomination.   

 

Trump’s trust in Gor

 

In his post, 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,” Trump wrote. “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.

 

Who is Sergio Gor?

 

Sergio Gor was born on November 30, 1986, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His family later moved to Malta, before emigrating to the United States. Gor completed high school in Los Angeles and graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC.

 

During his student years, he became active in conservative politics, joining the College Republicans and founding a campus chapter of the Young America’s Foundation.

 

Gor’s professional career began in Republican political circles, where he worked with Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Over time, 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.

 

Currently, Gor heads the White House Presidential Personnel Office and will remain there until his Senate confirmation as ambassador.   

 

Musk vs Gor: A bitter clash

 

Sergio Gor has not been without controversies. Earlier this year, Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and former Trump administration adviser, publicly branded Gor “a snake” on X.

 

Musk’s comments followed a New York Post report claiming Gor had failed to complete his own background clearance paperwork, despite overseeing vetting for thousands of federal employees. The White House strongly rejected the report, saying Gor’s clearance was active and valid.

 

According to The Hill, Musk and Gor frequently clashed during Cabinet meetings, with Musk 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 Senate vote, reportedly after Gor presented a dossier on Isaacman’s donations to Democrats. The withdrawal fueled Musk’s anger against Gor.

 

Musk’s resignation

 

In May, Musk resigned from his role 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.