By Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar (Retd)
New Delhi. This is a big question not only in India but also in the US itself and perhaps everywhere among think tankers and diplomats from Tokyo to Paris and London.
Taking to his Truth Social platform on 22nd August, US President Donald Trump announced the nomination of his new Ambassador Sergio Gor to India. Trump declared that in addition to his responsibilities as the US Ambassador to India, Gor will also be “Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.” Commending Gor, Trump wrote that “As Director of Presidential Personnel, Sergio and his team have hired nearly 4,000 America First Patriots across every Department of our Federal Government in RECORD time — Our Departments and Agencies are over 95% filled!”
Describing Gor as “a great friend” Trump said that he “has been at my side for many years. He worked on my Historic Presidential Campaigns, published my Best Selling books, and ran one of the biggest Super PACs, which supported our Movement.” And that, “For the most populous Region in the World, it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my Agenda and help us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Sergio will make an incredible Ambassador.’’
Three aspects stand out vividly in Trump’s announcement. Firstly, this nomination came more than 7 months after Trump was sworn in as President of USA. Ambassadors to several other countries, especially all the important ones like China, France, Japan, the UK etc. have already been nominated and several have already assumed office after receiving confirmation from the US Senate.
Secondly, the nomination has come when relations between India and the US are the worst since the last 25 years when ties started improving after the warm welcome accorded to President Bill Clinton in India in March, 2000. Reasons for this downward trend in ties are several.
India denies Trump role in the recent ceasefire
The foremost is India’s robust denial of any role by Trump in bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, post the 88-hour conflict from 7th to 10th May, 2025. In addition, the tariff negotiations between India and the USA have stalled although it did appear around end June/beginning July that the two countries were close to a final deal. Trump imposed a high 25% tariffs on India on 1st August, 2025. And then, further penalty tariffs of additional 25% on 7th August, allegedly because India was purchasing oil from Russia which was seen as helping Russia continue its bloody war against Ukraine. India is also a founder-member of BRICS which Trump considers to be anti-American, and a grouping wanting to replace the US Dollar as the global reserve currency.
Thirdly, Trump did not have a single good or positive word to say about India or India-US relations in his Truth Social post. Bilateral ties have made significant progress over the last 25 years since they commenced their upward trajectory to reach the current level of “global comprehensive strategic partnership’’ but this was completely overlooked by Trump, probably because he is determined to maintain increase the economic pressure on India.
India has not commented much except saying the Tariffs are unfair, but top US officials and diplomats from previous Administrations say that Trump wants a Nobel, among other things, for bringing peace between India and Pakistan in the recent four-day war. Pakistan, which had conducted terror strikes on India killing 16 innocent pilgrims in Pahalgam, and later started a high intensity war attacking Indian military positions, nominated Trump for the Nobel, and also signed an agreement to allow the US to explore minerals in its mountainous terrains.
There are still some positive remarks though from a section of the US establishment, whatever the intent.
The Man
Sergio Gor, born in Uzbekistan in 1986, has been nominated to the post in New Delhi at a particularly sensitive moment. He began his political career as an aide to prominent Republican politicians and worked with the Republican National Committee. Gor rose to prominence through his involvement in President Trump’s unsuccessful 2020 re-election campaign, after which he quickly became a key figure in Trump’s political inner circle. In 2021, he co-founded the conservative publishing house Winning Team Publishing, with Donald Trump Jr., the President’s eldest son. The firm has since released several books authored by President Trump and other leading conservative figures in the United States.
Following President Trump’s successful 2024 campaign, Gor was appointed to run the White House Presidential Personnel Office — the powerful agency responsible for vetting and selecting candidates for several key positions across the federal government. The role confers significant political power, and insiders claim that Gor’s appointment reflects the deep trust and access he enjoys with the President.
However, Gor has not been without controversy.
Reports in the American media suggest that he has used his position to block key appointments, particularly to the influential National Security Council. He is widely seen as a member of the “Restrainer” school of US foreign policy, which advocates a more limited view of American interests abroad and urges caution against costly military interventions. He and his allies have reportedly engaged in an internal struggle against the “Primacist” school, which supports a more traditional and assertive US foreign policy approach to the world.
Gor is said to have also played a key role in the fallout between President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The rift reportedly began after Musk’s ally, Jared Isaacman, was sidelined for the post of Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
If his close access to President Trump is Gor’s greatest asset, his total lack of knowledge about India and lack of diplomacy and significant foreign policy experience can be considered his biggest drawbacks.
Reactions to the Nomination
Remarks from the US establishment have been diverse, but also positive. For instance, Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist and still a key MAGA figure, has called Gor’s nomination a positive development for India, saying his closeness to the president will serve both the countries. Others like South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman noted that it “could be a positive step for India as the US is signalling the importance of ties with India by having the special envoy for two key regions be posted in New Delhi”.
Indian strategic experts, though, are alarmed at Gor’s nomination. Several of them are acutely concerned about his dual role. The Ambassador to India will simultaneously function as the Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. For instance, Kanwal Sibal, India’s former foreign secretary, sharply criticised the move. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), he noted, “This is a new form of ‘hyphenating’ India and Pakistan again, amongst other things. This special envoy mandate also blurs the focus on the Indo-Pacific dimension of US-India ties.” Brahma Chellaney, author and analyst, notes that the nominee’s role as special envoy for South and Central Asia will reduce India “from a global partner to a South Asian player”.
Conclusion
With negligible exposure or understanding of India, Gor could be expected to take forward the anti-India approach that Trump has been pursuing over the last few months. This is of course the primary task of any Ambassador, to project and advance his/her country’s perspective and position on all important issues. But an equally important task of an envoy is to honestly and with integrity transmit the positions and views of the host country to his/her parent country to build relations. It is doubtful whether Gor will be adequately equipped to fulfill that role.
India has already made it clear that the US approach of imposing tariffs of 25% and confirming an additional 25% as secondary sanctions due to its purchase of Russian oil as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” It is unlikely that India’s reasoned voice will be heard effectively in Washington through the Office of Gor after he assumes charge as US Ambassador in New Delhi.
By giving additional charge of South and Central Asia to Gor, Trump has declared that he considers India to be at par with the other South Asian countries rather than being in a sui generis position as a “comprehensive global strategic partner.” Most US Ambassadors have played a key role in bringing warmth to bilateral relations. By assigning additional responsibilities to the individual, it is likely that the relationship will not get the due time and attention that it needs.
From the Indian perspective, Gor’s nomination could be viewed not as a diplomatic breakthrough but a strategic downgrade, signaling an inadequately considered bureaucratic decision that diminishes India’s standing and position on the US foreign policy radar. For optimists, Gor’s access to Trump and his unique position in the MAGA universe could lead to greater possibility of Indian voice and position being heard loud and clear in Washington.
The re-hyphenation of India–Pakistan and a reduction in India’s standing as a strategic US partner may not augur well for the health of the India-US bilateral relations.
