President Donald Trump has peppered his list of ambassador picks with donors to his inaugural committee - business titans who lack diplomatic experience and several of whom have found their nominations languishing in the Senate.
Doug Manchester, Trump's pick for ambassador to the Bahamas, testified before the Senate that the island was part of the U.S. when it's actually an independent nation, NBC News revealed.
Manchester gave $1 million to Trump's inauguration.
President Donald Trump has peppered his list of ambassador picks with donors to his inaugural committee
Doug Manchester, Trump's pick for ambassador to the Bahamas, testified before the Senate that the island was part of the U.S. when it's actually an independent nation
Trump's choice to be ambassador to Iceland - Jeffrey Gunter - has never been to the country but gave $100,000 to the Trump Inaugural Committee.
And for ambassador to the United Arab Emirates - a sensitive posting in the hot bed of the Middle East that previous presidents have given to a career Foreign Service official - Trump nominated wealthy real estate developer John Rakolta, who has no diplomatic experience, but gave $250,000 to Trump's inauguration.
At least 14 major contributors to Trump's inauguration fund were nominated to become ambassadors, donating an average of slightly over $350,000 apiece, NBC News reported.
Six of the 14 are still waiting for their confirmation process to get through the Senate.
The president and Senate Republicans have railed against the delay in many of Trump's nominees, not just his ambassadorial ones.
'The comprehensive campaign by Senate Democrats to delay Senate consideration of presidential nominations is now more than two years old. As I have explained in recent days, it is time for this sorry chapter to end. It's time to return this body to a more normal and reasonable process for fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities, no matter which party controls the White House,' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell complained on the Senate floor Wednesday.
And on Wednesday Senate Republicans triggered the 'nuclear option' to change Senate rules and reduce
