President Trump’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Russia won enthusiastic approval from a key Senate panel, which moves him one step closer to Senate confirmation.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican who served under former President Barack Obama as ambassador to China before running for president in 2012, was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He received effusive praise even from Senate Democrats, despite the ever-present potential for controversy related to President Trump’s policies or attitude towards Russia.
“I’m enthusiastically supporting his nomin[ation] and hope we can get him to Moscow as soon as possible,” Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Tuesday morning.
Trump has been criticized for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin and resisting U.S. intelligence community assessments that the Russians interfered in the 2016 election. The president’s declared skepticism that Russia conducted successful cyber-attacks against the Democratic party or attempted to hack state election systems has fueled speculation of a conspiracy between his campaign and the Putin government.
If those controversies held any threat for Huntsman, he defanged them during his confirmation hearing last week. “I will also not hesitate to remind [Russian] government officials that they are accountable for their actions,” Huntsman told the panel in his prepared statement. “Exhibit A is the fact that interference in the U.S. election has led directly to the current low level of trust in the relationship.”
He promised to work on diplomatic engagement with the Russian people, despite the Russian government’s anger and suspicion that such outreach is an attempt to stoke opposition to Putin and eventual regime change.
“While the Russian government has sought to limit U.S. public diplomacy, our diplomatic mission in Russia continues to engage ordinary Russians and thought leaders and maintains a diverse outreach program,” Huntsman said. “I plan to take part in that effort, as I strongly believe cultural understanding is enriched by an open and respectful exchange of thoughts and ideas. I look forward to meeting as many Russian citizens as possible during my travels throughout the country.”
Both Cardin and Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker agreed that Huntsman had delivered one of the best performances of any nominee to appear before their committee. “Few have answered the questions with the clarity that he did and his commitment to carry out the type of strength for our values and our relationship with Russia,” Cardin said.
