President Donald Trump nominated Sergio Gor, his head of presidential personnel, as U.S. Ambassador to India on Friday, despite ongoing controversies surrounding Gor’s background and a public feud with Elon Musk over alleged federal document falsification.

Trump announced the nomination on Truth Social, stating he was “promoting Sergio Gor to be our next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India, and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.” The president cited Gor’s loyalty and claimed his team placed nearly 4,000 people across government, though this figure remains unverified.

The nomination comes as U.S.-India relations face significant strain over trade disputes and Russian oil purchases. Trump threatened to “substantially” raise tariffs on Indian goods after India’s continued energy trade with Russia, which now accounts for 39% of India’s oil imports compared to 2.5% pre-war.

According to The New York Times report, Gor previously worked for Senator Rand Paul and maintained close relationships with Trump’s extended circle, including Donald Trump Jr. He helped create a publishing venture that paid millions to Trump for book production while out of office and ran a super political action committee (PAC) supporting the president in 2024, backed heavily by former Marvel Entertainment executive Isaac Perlmutter.

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Trump praised Gor as a “great friend, who has been at my side for many years,” emphasizing the importance of having someone he can “fully trust” in the world’s most populous region. The bilateral trade relationship topped $129 billion last year, making the ambassadorial role crucial during current tensions over India’s Russian oil purchases.

The appointment faces complications from Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk‘s public accusations that Gor “deliberately lied about where he was born on Federal forms,” calling it a “serious crime.”

The feud escalated after Gor reportedly pushed Trump to pull Jared Isaacman’s NASA nomination, further straining Musk’s ties with the White House. Though the White House maintains that Gor has undergone proper vetting and holds the necessary security clearance.

Gor requires Senate confirmation for the ambassadorship, though his special envoy role needs only presidential appointment.

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