U.S. President Donald Trump on August 22, 2025, nominated Sergio Gor to serve as the next United States Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.

A longtime aide and trusted confidant of President Trump, Gor is currently the Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. Announcing the nomination on Truth Social, President Trump said, “I am pleased to announce that I am promoting Sergio Gor to be our next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India, and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.”

Highlighting Gor’s record at the White House, the president added that as Director of Presidential Personnel, Gor and his team had “hired nearly 4,000 America First Patriots across every Department of our Federal Government in RECORD time. Our Departments and Agencies are over 95 per cent filled! Sergio will remain in his current role at the White House until his confirmation.”

Calling Gor a “great friend,” President Trump praised his role in past campaigns and initiatives: “He worked on my Historic Presidential Campaigns, published my Best Selling Books, and ran one of the biggest Super PACs, which supported our Movement. Sergio’s role as Director of Presidential Personnel has been essential to delivering on the unprecedented Mandate that we received from the American People. 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.”

The president congratulated by saying, “Sergio will make an incredible Ambassador.”

Several senior officials praised the appointment. Vice President JD Vance said, “Sergio is a great guy and will make a fantastic ambassador for our country to India. So much of our success over the last few months was due to Sergio’s hard work. I’m grateful to POTUS for giving him this new role.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed the decision, noting, “I am excited about the President’s decision to nominate Sergio Gor to be our next Ambassador to India. He will be an excellent representative of America in one of the most important relationships our nation has in the world.”

FBI Director Kash Patel called Gor an “outstanding pick for Ambassador to India,” while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added, “Sergio helped President Trump put together the best team in history, and he will be a great Ambassador for the Trump Administration overseas.”

The nomination comes against the backdrop of heightened U.S.-India trade tensions. On August 27, the Trump administration is set to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, effectively doubling the total tariff burden to 50 percent.

The tariffs follow growing American criticism of India’s purchase of Russian oil. According to Reuters, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on August 19 that Russian oil now accounts for 42 percent of India’s imports—up from under 1 percent before the Ukraine war. By contrast, China’s share of Russian oil imports has increased only modestly, from 13 percent to 16 percent.

“India is just profiteering. They are reselling,” Bessent said. “What I would call Indian arbitrage—buying cheap Russian oil, reselling it as product—has just sprung up during the war, which is unacceptable.”

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro echoed these concerns in a Financial Times opinion piece on August 18, writing that “India acts as a global clearinghouse for Russian oil, converting embargoed crude into high-value exports while giving Moscow the dollars it needs.”

Stephen Miller, senior advisor to President Trump, went further, stating in a recent interview, “India portrays itself as one of our closest friends in the world. But they don’t accept our products, they impose massive tariffs on us. We also know they engage in a lot of cheating on immigration policy.”

Indian officials have pushed back on Washington’s criticisms. In an official statement on August 4, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that imports from Russia were driven by necessity after traditional suppliers diverted supplies to Europe. 

“India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict,” the MEA noted, adding that “India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer.”

The ministry underscored that the U.S. and European nations continue to import Russian products themselves, including uranium hexafluoride for the nuclear industry, palladium for electric vehicles, fertilizers, and chemicals. The MEA stressed that criticism of India was “unjustified and unreasonable,” and reaffirmed that India would safeguard its “national interests and economic security.”

The nomination also coincides with preparations for the Quad Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi this fall, where President Trump is expected to attend. However, the new tariffs cast uncertainty over the visit. A senior Indian official confirmed that New Delhi is still finalizing the dates and looks forward to the president’s participation.

In Washington, many policy experts suggest a direct phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could ease tensions. Prominent Indian American Republican donor Asha Jadeja told South Asian Herald on August 6, “India should recognize that the United States is an important friend… All he [President Trump] wants is a phone call from PM Modi. It is crucial that somebody from the Indian team understands this and make it happen.”

The Indian official clarified that PM Modi is not expected to engage in direct talks with President Trump at this stage, with negotiators on both sides working toward progress before any leader-level discussions.

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