President Donald Trump has put forward two allies, Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano, for diplomatic positions after their unsuccessful gubernatorial bids in key states.
On Monday, the White House disclosed that Trump has chosen Lake to serve as ambassador to Jamaica and Mastriano as ambassador to Slovakia. Both positions require approval from the Senate.
Mastriano, who campaigned for governor in Pennsylvania, and Lake, who was defeated in Arizona, supported Trump’s unfounded election claims and were not favored by voters in 2022.
“I look forward to representing our nation abroad, strengthening the friendship between our two countries, and advancing the interests of the American people,” Mastriano expressed in a statement posted online.
Lake, previously a local TV figure who led the U.S. Agency for Global Media under Trump, expressed enthusiasm for her prospective role in the Caribbean.
“Jamaica is a country I know very well, full of incredible people, and if confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to strengthening the partnership between our nations, advancing America’s interests abroad, and building on the deep friendship shared by the American and Jamaican people,” she shared in a social media post.
Until the Senate confirms his appointment, Mastriano will continue his duties as a state senator in Pennsylvania. Lake’s future with the U.S. Agency for Global Media remains uncertain.
Mastriano’s nomination potentially disrupts a growing write-in campaign supporting him in Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial primary, a race he previously won in 2022. This campaign, which Mastriano backed but did not officially join, posed a challenge to Republicans’ favored candidate, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, ahead of the upcoming primary next Tuesday.
Lake was appointed to USGM last year following her losses in two statewide elections in Arizona, a battleground state. She lost to Governor Katie Hobbs in 2022 and later attempted to replace former Senator Kyrsten Sinema in 2024, but was defeated by Ruben Gallego.
After taking a non-Senate confirmed role with USGM, Lake led significant reductions at Voice of America as part of a broader restructuring of the federal workforce. The administration’s cuts resulted in the removal of about 85 percent of the agency’s staff.
However, Lake’s leadership at USGM faced legal challenges. In March, a federal judge ruled her appointment was improper due to a lack of Senate confirmation. Subsequently, the judge mandated the Trump administration to reinstate the employees who had been placed on leave.
