President Donald Trump on Friday nominated Sergio Gor, the director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, to serve as U.S. ambassador to India and as special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs. The appointment, announced on Truth Social, would elevate a longtime aide and fundraiser to one of Washington’s most strategically important diplomatic posts, pending Senate confirmation. Gor, 38, has overseen hiring for roughly 4,000 political positions across federal agencies, a process the White House says filled more than 95 % of vacancies. A veteran of Trump’s election campaigns and publishing projects, he is expected to remain in his personnel role until confirmed by the Senate. "It will be the honor of my life to represent the United States," Gor said after the announcement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called India “one of the most important relationships” for the United States and welcomed the nomination. The move comes amid heightened trade frictions, including a 25 % U.S. tariff on Indian imports that the administration has said could double to 50 % later this month. If confirmed, Gor would succeed Eric Garcetti in New Delhi and help steer ties with the world’s most populous nation at a delicate economic moment.