Trump continues to build his team, including Middle East envoys. [Getty]
US President-elect Donald Trump continues to name his picks for his team, among the latest East Eric Trager and Morgan Ortagus for Middle East envoys.
Trager, who has worked as a staffer for Republicans on the Senate Arms Services Committee, has been described as “hawkish” by The Times of Israel, while one-time Trump critic Ortagus, a TV commentator and former State Department spokesperson in Trump’s first administration, seems to be a reluctant pick for the incoming president.
Trager’s new position would reportedly be senior director for the Middle East and North Africa on the US National Security Council. His research has been focused on Egypt and the country’s Muslim Brotherhood, the subject of his 2016 book, “Arab Fall: How the Muslim Brotherhood Won and Lost Egypt in 891 Days”.
He has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has also held a position as a research fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a right-wing think tank.
Ortagus, for her part, was also recently announced as an expected nominee to add to Trump’s growing team as deputy Middle East envoy, having served in his previous administration in the State Department.Â
She has an academic background in political science and business administration. She previously worked on Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign, as a public affairs officer with the US Agency for International Development, and for the Treasury Department as an intelligence analyst and as an attaché with the US embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Unlike some of Trump’s other picks, however, he has openly expressed clear hesitation on Ortagus.
“Early on Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson,” Trump said, referring to her time working for Trump’s former secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Jewish Insider reported. “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. Let’s see what happens. She will hopefully be an asset to Steve, a great leader and talent, as we seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region. I expect great results, and soon!”
