The Senate confirmed former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, a national security newcomer, to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO amid uncertainty about President Donald Trump’s commitment to the alliance.
Whitaker’s nomination was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-45 vote Tuesday.
His selection had come as a surprise to U.S. allies in November, as the one-time acting attorney general was an unknown in the national security arena and had no significant foreign policy experience.
Whitaker is expected to push Trump’s campaign to pressure NATO members into increasing military spending. The president has insisted that alliance members meet a commitment of spending at least two percent of GDP on defense.
Trump has also cast doubt on the U.S. commitment to NATO’s core principle of mutual security — that an attack on one member should be seen as an attack on the whole alliance. Trump last month said that he might reconsider U.S. participation in the pact, saying “if they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them.”
But Whitaker has said the administration’s commitment to the security alliance is unwavering, telling senators at a confirmation hearing last month that it is “ironclad.”
Whitaker’s confirmation makes him the face of U.S. foreign policy in NATO at a particularly challenging time for the alliance as it seeks to defend Ukraine — which has sought to join the alliance — from Russia’s attacks while contending with decreased U.S. support.
Trump has made clear his willingness to cut U.S. support for the embattled country if he doesn’t get his way. In response to Trump’s actions, and the president’s increasing interest in building his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, European countries scrambled to put together a plan to replace U.S. military support to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion.
Whitaker’s confirmation was delayed by several hours due to a marathon floor speech by Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who spent more than 25 hours filibustering on the Senate floor to protest actions by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans.
