Key facts
- Republican Representative Wesley Hunt has been nominated by US President Donald Trump to be the next US ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
- Hunt has previously made anti-Islam statements, warning that Muslims infiltrate and take over other countries.
- He has also expressed strong pro-Israel views, calling it America's 'one true ally' in the Middle East.
- Hunt has received significant financial support from pro-Israel lobby groups.
- The nomination comes at a sensitive time for US-Gulf relations, following US and Israeli military actions in the region.
US President Donald Trump has nominated Republican Representative Wesley Hunt to serve as the next American ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The announcement on Monday comes at a time of significant strain in US-Gulf relations, particularly following recent US and Israeli military actions in the region that have destabilized the Middle East and impacted the global economy.
Hunt, a vocal supporter of Trump, has a background in the US military, having served in Iraq and completed two deployments to Saudi Arabia as a diplomatic liaison officer. He has previously used his experiences in Saudi Arabia to voice strong anti-Islam sentiments. In November, he stated that he had witnessed firsthand countries governed by Sharia law and expressed concern about Muslims infiltrating and taking over other nations. In January 2026, he reiterated these views, suggesting that people who dismissed his warnings had never lived under such systems and referencing public beheadings and restrictions on women driving during his time stationed there.
Commentators have noted Hunt's rhetoric. The New Yorker reported on Texas elections where Hunt and other Republicans targeted Muslims, while Houston Chronicle columnist Chris Tomlinson accused them of stoking fears of Islam. Edward Ahmed Mitchell of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Action stated that candidates were competing to be the most anti-Muslim to gain votes. Hunt has also warned about people importing systems that could destroy communities.
In addition to his anti-Islam remarks, Hunt is a strong supporter of Israel. He has described Israel as America's "one true ally" in the Middle East and has received substantial financial backing from pro-Israel lobby groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), AMP, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and USI, totaling $139,862 according to Track AIPAC. Despite praising the Abraham Accords, Hunt has cautioned against complacency, even with signatory nations.
Saudi Arabia has not yet publicly reacted to Hunt's nomination, which will require confirmation from the US Senate.