President-elect Donald Trump has nominated businessman Warren Stephens to serve as the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
“Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full-time,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. “I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as a top diplomat, representing the United States to one of America’s most cherished and beloved allies.”
Stephens, who is CEO of private Arkansas-based investment bank Stephens Inc., donated millions to Trump’s re-election campaign this year.
If his nomination is successful, Stephens will help maintain the so-called “special relationship” between the US and Britain.
The two countries maintain close military, intelligence and cultural relations.
Trump has vowed to rebuild America’s relationships abroad, vowing to implement an “America-first” ethos in foreign policy.
The role of US Ambassador to the UK is one of the most prestigious diplomatic posts, and presidents have been known to award the role to prominent supporters.
During his first term in office, Trump appointed Woody Johnson, a top Republican donor and owner of the American football team New York Jets, as ambassador to Britain.
Barack Obama chose longtime Democratic Party fundraiser and lawyer Louis Sussman as his first envoy to the UK – or the Court of St. James.
However, Stephens did not always support Trump’s candidacy. In 2016, when Trump first ran for president, Stephens donated nearly $4 million (£3.1 million) to political groups seeking to stop Trump’s advancement, as did the Arkansas Democrat- The Gazette reported at the time.
The investment banker also donated more than $2 million to a political action committee that supported former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as she unsuccessfully ran for president in 2024, according to campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets. Found.
However, when Trump ultimately emerged victorious in this year’s Republican presidential primary, Stephens threw his support behind him. Federal campaign finance data shows he also donated to Republican groups and U.S. Senate candidates this year.
In a statement, Stephens said he was honored by the nomination.
He said, “I told President Trump that I am extremely proud to serve our country and his administration, to implement the President’s agenda, and to further strengthen the long-standing alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom.” will be.”
He and his wife also run a philanthropic organization, the Harriet and Warren Stephens Family Foundation, which has donated to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the University of Mississippi, and Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock.
