Events in the Middle East seem to grow more complex and more fractious by the day. But now one key nation in the troubled Muslim world is getting a new representative from the United States, and it seems likely he'll frame well for the job.
On Monday, President Trump sent a list of nominees for various judgeships and other posts to the United States Senate. Among the various positions was one very interesting one: the president has nominated Republican Representative Wesley Hunt (TX-38) to the post of United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Fox News' Bill Melugin broke the news on X.
NEW: President Trump has nominated Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) to be the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and the nomination has been referred to the Senate, per a WH announcement today.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 14, 2026
Additionally, Lee Greenwood's wife, Kimberly Greenwood, is nominated to be US ambassador to…
NEW: President Trump has nominated Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) to be the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and the nomination has been referred to the Senate, per a WH announcement today. Additionally, Lee Greenwood's wife, Kimberly Greenwood, is nominated to be US ambassador to Barbados.
The entire list of nominees, which can be viewed here, states in part:
Wesley Hunt, of Texas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This is a key role and should be placed in the right hands. Saudi Arabia is a pivot point in the Middle East. The Kingdom is the closest thing the United States has to an ally in the Muslim world, and even that is, at times, a bit of an overstatement. I've spent some time in that country, and the attitudes, customs, and traditions in the Kingdom can be nothing short of confounding to Westerners. Add to that the fact that the country is essentially a family business in addition to being the center of Sunni Islam, and you have a complicated place indeed.
Right now, with the United States contending with Iran both militarily and economically, this appointment is all the more important. Iran has struck at the Saudis, and now, as we have been reporting over the last few days, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have been pushing up the Red Sea coast and have attacked Saudi installations; add to that the attack on a major Saudi oil pipeline by drones launched from Iraq, presumably by Iran-backed militias, and you have a complex and fast-changing part of the world, a part of the world that sits on one of the largest reservoirs of petroleum in the world. It's a spot where the Trump administration has to have the right man for the job.
This is a post that will require a quick thinker, an able diplomat, and someone who has American-first fixed first and foremost in his mind. I think this is the choice. In May of 2025, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rep. Hunt. He is intelligent, thoughtful, and dedicated; he is bound to do well in his role, assuming he is confirmed.
The Middle East will only continue to become more contentious as events continue to unfold. But this choice is a solid one. The Senate should confirm Mr. Hunt as soon as possible, so he can get to work.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are once again respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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