Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., ripped Leandro Rizzuto Jr., President Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Barbados, for spreading conspiracy theories and making offensive comments on social media about Republican lawmakers.
“Mr. Rizzuto should feel free to put on his tinfoil hat and visit our office with evidence for his salacious conspiracy theories and cuckoo allegations. While he’s at it, the Senate probably needs to know his views on the moon landing. I’m sure Senator Sasse will be willing to evaluate the specific evidence for his claims — but it’s got to be more than a stack of National Enquirers,” a spokesman for Sasse said in a statement Tuesday.
On Monday, Rizzuto was outed for retweets criticizing Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, and Mitt Romney during the 2016 election.
The Conair executive also shared an image of Cruz’s wife Heidi, that stated, “This woman should scare the hell out of all Americans!”
“People who want to serve Americans as our diplomats and spokespeople abroad should know that words and truth matter, even during campaigns. Cynics and nuts are probably going to have a hard time securing Senate confirmation,” the spokesman added.
Trump nominated Rizzuto for the position in January. In addition to Barbados, Rizzuto would also serve as ambassador to St. Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis.
