TOI correspondent from Washington: Conventional explanations for the US President nominating inexperienced loyalist Sergio Gor as ambassador to New Delhi range from Trump's desire to reset relations with India, to sending a reliable "enforcer," to a wider geo-political agenda for which his (Gor's) remit has been expanded to South and Central Asia. The conspiracy angle? Gor is being jettisoned from the White House and exiled to India amid vicious knife fights for primacy in the President's inner circle.
There is little doubt that Gor is close to Trump -- by the President's own account -- and wields considerable influence as Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. But behind him lie stories of toxic infighting in the White House, including his clash with eclipsed and now re-emerging Tesla boss Elon Musk and others who have charged the personnel vetting czar of not undergoing proper security checks himself.
Gor is just one center of second-tier power-wielders in a White House bossed by Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, also known as the Ice Maiden, her deputy Stephen Miller, vice-president JD Vance, and Trump's buddy and man for all missions Steve Witkoff, among others. Beyond them is far-right activist Laura Loomer , who has emerged as an extraconstitutional gadabout doing what Gor was tasked with formally in the White House -- vetting key Trump appointees from the outside.
While Elon Musk getting Gor-ed is a well-known story in Washington, questions now center on whether Gor in turn got Loomered -- an adjective that describes being brought down by the conspiracy theorist who puts even the most ardent MAGA faithful to the loyalty test. Although Loomer welcomed Gor's nomination as ambassador to India , speculation that she is interested in Gor's job was triggered by her supporters suggesting that she is a good fit for replacing him. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon is among those who says Loomer should be on the "short list" for Gor's job — to which Loomer said it would be an “honor” to serve the post if it was offered to her.
Loomer has developed a fearsome reputation for torching White House nominees who she feels have not been adequately vetted for MAGA loyalty. Among her targets was Dr. Vinay Prasad , an Indian-American hematologist-oncologist who was appointed in May 2025 as the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), overseeing vaccines, gene therapies, and blood products.
Labeling him a “progressive leftist saboteur,” “Trump-hating Bernie Bro,” and “Marxist Trojan Horse,” Loomer led a campaign highlighting his past social media posts, including a 2020 statement expressing support for Joe Biden, and arguing that his liberal leanings and past criticism of Trump made him disloyal to the administration’s agenda, particularly MAHA’s focus on deregulation and patient advocacy.
Prasad eventually resigned after three months on the job, but he was returned to the post within weeks, reportedly at the intervention of Susie Wiles and Health Secretary Ronert F.Kennedy jr, who convinced the President to look beyond Loomer's campaign and his past criticism of Trump. While Gor's role in Prasad hiring, firing (although he resigned citing family reasons) and re-hiring is not clear, the personnel boss has been under pressure from Loomer's looming presence in the White House, where she has the President's ear.
Loomer has also targeted several other personnel appointments, saying they do not meet the MAGA bar, amid a continuing churn in the White House. In one of the more embarrassing episodes in Trump 2.0, the President’s nomination of Indian-American physician Dr Anjani Singh as ambassador to Singapore came under fire after Singh repeatedly fumbled during a confirmation hearing . He claimed Singapore's trade surplus with the US was $80 billion, then corrected himself to $18 billion. The actual figure is just $2.8 billion, Senator Tammy Duckworth, who was questioning him, said, asking him to "go shape up and do some homework."
“You are not currently prepared for this posting, period...You think this is a glamour posting, that you’re going to live a nice life in Singapore, when what we need is someone who can actually do the work," she rebuked him.
Gor himself will go up before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation in the coming days, with growing criticism of Trump's ambassadorial nominees, rewarded with plum posts on the basis of lolly (political contributions), loyalty, and personal ties, rather than diplomatic expertise or experience. Loomer will be watching.
There is little doubt that Gor is close to Trump -- by the President's own account -- and wields considerable influence as Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. But behind him lie stories of toxic infighting in the White House, including his clash with eclipsed and now re-emerging Tesla boss Elon Musk and others who have charged the personnel vetting czar of not undergoing proper security checks himself.
Gor is just one center of second-tier power-wielders in a White House bossed by Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, also known as the Ice Maiden, her deputy Stephen Miller, vice-president JD Vance, and Trump's buddy and man for all missions Steve Witkoff, among others. Beyond them is far-right activist Laura Loomer , who has emerged as an extraconstitutional gadabout doing what Gor was tasked with formally in the White House -- vetting key Trump appointees from the outside.
While Elon Musk getting Gor-ed is a well-known story in Washington, questions now center on whether Gor in turn got Loomered -- an adjective that describes being brought down by the conspiracy theorist who puts even the most ardent MAGA faithful to the loyalty test. Although Loomer welcomed Gor's nomination as ambassador to India , speculation that she is interested in Gor's job was triggered by her supporters suggesting that she is a good fit for replacing him. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon is among those who says Loomer should be on the "short list" for Gor's job — to which Loomer said it would be an “honor” to serve the post if it was offered to her.
Loomer has developed a fearsome reputation for torching White House nominees who she feels have not been adequately vetted for MAGA loyalty. Among her targets was Dr. Vinay Prasad , an Indian-American hematologist-oncologist who was appointed in May 2025 as the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), overseeing vaccines, gene therapies, and blood products.
Labeling him a “progressive leftist saboteur,” “Trump-hating Bernie Bro,” and “Marxist Trojan Horse,” Loomer led a campaign highlighting his past social media posts, including a 2020 statement expressing support for Joe Biden, and arguing that his liberal leanings and past criticism of Trump made him disloyal to the administration’s agenda, particularly MAHA’s focus on deregulation and patient advocacy.
Prasad eventually resigned after three months on the job, but he was returned to the post within weeks, reportedly at the intervention of Susie Wiles and Health Secretary Ronert F.Kennedy jr, who convinced the President to look beyond Loomer's campaign and his past criticism of Trump. While Gor's role in Prasad hiring, firing (although he resigned citing family reasons) and re-hiring is not clear, the personnel boss has been under pressure from Loomer's looming presence in the White House, where she has the President's ear.
Loomer has also targeted several other personnel appointments, saying they do not meet the MAGA bar, amid a continuing churn in the White House. In one of the more embarrassing episodes in Trump 2.0, the President’s nomination of Indian-American physician Dr Anjani Singh as ambassador to Singapore came under fire after Singh repeatedly fumbled during a confirmation hearing . He claimed Singapore's trade surplus with the US was $80 billion, then corrected himself to $18 billion. The actual figure is just $2.8 billion, Senator Tammy Duckworth, who was questioning him, said, asking him to "go shape up and do some homework."
“You are not currently prepared for this posting, period...You think this is a glamour posting, that you’re going to live a nice life in Singapore, when what we need is someone who can actually do the work," she rebuked him.
Gor himself will go up before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation in the coming days, with growing criticism of Trump's ambassadorial nominees, rewarded with plum posts on the basis of lolly (political contributions), loyalty, and personal ties, rather than diplomatic expertise or experience. Loomer will be watching.
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