Trump announces key U.S. State Department picks

By lauraharris // 2025-01-06

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President-elect Donald Trump announced his picks for key positions within the U.S. Department of State, including Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and spokesperson for the department.
Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokesperson and active U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer, will serve as Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, working under Steven Witkoff.
Roman Pipko, a native of Estonia, will serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and is expected to advance American interests in the country.
Tammy Bruce, a political analyst and former liberal activist turned conservative voice, will serve as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, joining Marco Rubio as nominee for U.S. Secretary of State.
Incoming Department of State officials will likely facilitate a hostage deal with Israel, joining a growing Trump administration team focused on the Middle East. However, the Biden administration is racing to finalize negotiations between Israel and Hamas before the Trump administration leaves office on Jan. 20.

President-elect Donald Trump has revealed his picks for key positions within the U.S. Department of State (DOS), including Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and spokesperson for the department. In separate posts on Truth Social on Jan. 3, Trump revealed his picks for the positions of Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and spokesperson for the DOS. (Related: Trump officially endorses Mike Johnson for House Speaker.) Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokesperson and active U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer, will serve as Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, working under Steven Witkoff, a New York real estate tycoon selected for Middle East envoy. Trump acknowledged Ortagus' previous opposition to him, but is still hopeful she "has learned her lesson" and expects "great results." Shortly after, Trump posted that Roman Pipko, a native of Estonia, will serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia. Pipko has represented U.S. interests in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Russian American Enterprise Fund and has negotiated projects in Mongolia, Africa, Russia, Western Europe and his native Estonia, working with U.S. government agencies and foreign governments on the enforcement of U.S. sanctions. In line with this, Trump trusts that "he will advance American interests in his new role." Meanwhile, Tammy Bruce, a political analyst and former liberal activist turned conservative voice, will serve as spokesperson for the DOS, joining Marco Rubio, nominee for U.S. Secretary of State. Bruce received her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Southern California and has been a news contributor for over two decades. "Tammy has brought truth to the American people for over two decades. I know she will bring that same strength of conviction and fearless spirit to her new position as State Department spokesperson," Trump wrote.

Incoming State Department officials to facilitate a hostage deal with Israel

These picks for key positions within the DOS will join a growing Trump administration team focused on the Middle East. This team includes Witkoff, Massad Boulos, a senior advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, Adam Boehler, the envoy for hostage situations and Mike Pompeo, the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The incoming Trump administration has not yet made an official statement after the announcement, but their initial task may be to facilitate a hostage deal. "Morgan is literally the best pick he could have made. She knows the region as well as anybody I've met. Everybody in the region knows her," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said in a telephone interview with Bloomberg. "Nobody has closer ties to Israel and understands the mischief of Iran. The president wouldn't have picked her if he didn't think she could do the job." The outgoing Biden administration is racing to finalize negotiations between Israel and Hamas before the Trump administration takes office on Jan. 20. However, despite Qatari mediators hosting delegations from both sides on Friday, Jan. 3, significant disagreements remain. Watch the video below where Trump lays out his second-term plans prior to the inauguration.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

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Incoming State Department officials to facilitate a hostage deal with Israel

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