In an unexpected turn of events, President-elect Donald Trump made an unusual announcement on his Truth Social platform, revealing Morgan Ortagus as his pick for Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace. But what caught everyone off guard wasn’t just the nomination — it was the way Trump framed it.
Here’s the thing: Trump’s message was a bit of a curveball. He praised Ortagus, but also seemed to throw a light jab her way. He said, “Early on Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson.” A little awkward, right? But he also added, “These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them.”
Now, don’t get us wrong. Trump did say he expected “great results” from Ortagus and praised her qualifications, even calling her a “great leader and talent.” He pointed out her impressive background, mentioning her service as a spokesperson at the U.S. Department of State and her role in the historic Abraham Accords — the deal that made waves by bringing peace to the Middle East. Oh, and did we mention she’s also a U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer? Impressive stuff.
But the plot thickens! Trump’s relationship with Ortagus has been… well, complicated. He initially supported her in the 2022 Tennessee congressional race, but that all changed after Ortagus made some critical comments about him. She didn’t hold back, calling his foreign policy “isolationist” and even criticizing his personal behavior. As you can imagine, that didn’t sit well with Trump’s loyal base. But despite that, Ortagus has generally stuck to supporting Trump’s policies, even though his supporters haven’t fully forgiven her for those earlier remarks.
In fact, things got a little spicy when Trump supporters even went after Kash Patel — a die-hard Trump ally — just for having lunch with her!
So, what’s the takeaway? Well, it seems like Trump’s giving Ortagus a second chance, with a bit of tough love mixed in. Let’s see how this diplomatic partnership plays out — will she prove herself as a key asset, or will the past come back to haunt her? Time will tell!
