Trump nominates Morgan Ortagus for deputy Middle East envoy

Ortagus to work under Steve Witkoff, whom president-elect nominated in November as special envoy to the region

Morgan Ortagus, who served as spokeswoman for the State Department in the previous Trump administration, speaks at an event in 2019. Victor Besa / The National

US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday nominated Morgan Ortagus as deputy presidential envoy to the Middle East.

Ms Ortagus will work under Steve Witkoff, whom Mr Trump nominated as special envoy to the Middle East in November.

“She will hopefully be an asset to Steve, a great leader and talent, as we seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region. I expect great results, and soon,” Mr Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

During the previous Trump administration, Ms Ortagus served as State Department spokeswoman. She has served as an intelligence analyst at the Department of the Treasury and as a public affairs officer at USAID. She is also an officer in the US Navy Reserve.

Her previous Middle East-related experience includes serving as the deputy treasury attache to Saudi Arabia. She was also a member of the “historic Abraham Accords team that brought unprecedented peace to the Middle East”, Mr Trump said.

Ms Ortagus's experience in foreign policy and the Middle East is likely to serve Mr Witkoff well since the incoming special envoy is a real estate investor and Trump campaign donor, and he does not appear to have much experience in diplomacy or the region.

Mr Trump was curiously restrained in his congratulations when announcing Ms Ortagus's appointment, saying: “Early on Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learnt her lesson. These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens … Good luck, Morgan!”

But other Republicans were more effusive in their praise.

“There is no one better to do this job. She is a superstar,” said Joe Wilson, chairman of the House subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Republicans in the House armed services committee called the nomination of Ms Ortagus a “fantastic choice” by Mr Trump.

In a post on X, Ms Ortagus said she was “honoured” to be nominated for the role.

“To be given the opportunity to once again represent my country and the Trump administration in a crucial diplomatic role is a dream come true,” she said. “The most important thing is that through President Trump, we bring peace and stability to a troubled region, and I'm grateful to play a small role in that endeavour.”