President Donald Trump has nominated U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Hunt announced Monday. Hunt called the nomination "the honor of a lifetime," pointing to his military service in the region and two years he spent as a diplomatic liaison in Saudi Arabia.
"Having served in the region both in combat as an Army officer and for two years as a diplomatic liaison in the Kingdom, I understand the strategic importance of the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia and the profound responsibility of this position," Hunt said.
Hunt, a West Point graduate and former Army officer, said military service has been a family tradition. He said he, his brother and his sister all graduated from the academy and served in combat, and that all three were deployed to Iraq at the same time.
"My immediate family has given more than sixty years to our military," Hunt said. If confirmed by the Senate, Hunt said he would work to strengthen the U.S.-Saudi relationship and advance Trump's foreign policy agenda.
"When confirmed, I will serve with humility and honor, advance his vision of peace through strength and deepen this vital partnership," Hunt said.
Hunt's path to the ambassador post comes after a brief but high-profile flirtation with a Senate run in Texas.
In 2025, the National Republican Senatorial Committee urged Hunt's donors to discourage him from challenging then-Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary, calling his potential bid a "vanity project" and arguing it could divert resources from other Republican races. Hunt had been running ads across Texas that fueled speculation about a Senate campaign, though he had not yet formally announced a bid at the time.
Hunt marked the announcement with an AI-generated graphic that looks less like a routine diplomatic posting and more like the poster for a summer action movie.
In the image, Hunt stares into the distance in mirrored aviator sunglasses against a glowing Saudi skyline, surrounded by military-style graphics and what appears to be a fighter jet blueprint. Trump looms dramatically in the corner.
Think "Top Gun," but make it Riyadh.
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This article originally published at Trump picks Houston congressman Wesley Hunt for Saudi ambassador.