Trump picks investment banker Warren Stephens as UK ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated businessman Warren Stephens to service arsenic America’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.

“Warren has ever dreamed of serving the United States afloat time,” Trump said successful a connection connected Truth Social. “I americium thrilled that helium volition present person that accidental arsenic the apical diplomat, representing the USA to 1 of America’s astir cherished and beloved allies.”

Stephens, who is CEO of backstage Arkansas-based concern slope Stephens Inc, donated millions to Trump’s re-election run this year.

If his information is successful, Stephens volition assistance to support the alleged “special relationship” betwixt the US and the UK.

The 2 countries support adjacent military, intelligence, and taste ties.

Trump has vowed to rework the US’ relationships abroad, vowing to instrumentality an “America-first” ethos to overseas policy.

The relation of US ambassador to the UK is 1 of the astir coveted diplomatic positions, and presidents person been known to bestow the relation to salient backers.

During his archetypal word successful office, Trump appointed Woody Johnson, a apical Republican donor and proprietor of the American shot squad the New York Jets, arsenic UK ambassador.

Barack Obama chose long-time Democratic Party fundraiser and lawyer Louis Susman arsenic his archetypal emissary to the UK - oregon the Court of St James.

Stephens did not ever backmost Trump’s candidacies, however. In 2016, erstwhile Trump archetypal ran for president, Stephens donated astir $4m (£3.1m) to governmental groups that sought to halt Trump’s ascent, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported astatine the time.

The concern banker besides donated implicit $2m to a governmental enactment committee that supported erstwhile UN Ambassador Nikki Haley arsenic she unsuccessfully ran for president successful 2024, the run concern watchdog OpenSecrets found.

When Trump yet triumphed successful this year’s Republican statesmanlike primary, however, Stephens threw his enactment down him. Federal run concern information amusement helium besides donated to Republican groups and US Senate candidates this year.

In a statement, Stephens said helium was honoured by the nomination.

"I person expressed to President Trump that I would beryllium highly arrogant to service our state and his administration, moving to instrumentality the President’s docket and further fortify the long-standing confederation betwixt the United States and the United Kingdom,” helium said.

He and his woman besides support a philanthropic organisation, the Harriet and Warren Stephens Family Foundation, which has donated to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the University of Mississippi, and the Episcopal Collegiate School successful Little Rock.