Trump Nominates Rep. Wesley Hunt as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

President Trump on Monday, September 14, 2026, nominated Rep. Wesley Hunt, a second-term Houston Republican and retired Army officer who twice served as a diplomatic liaison in Saudi Arabia, to be US ambassador to Riyadh — filling a post that has sat under interim leadership for nearly the entire second term. Hunt, a West Point graduate, gave up his House seat to run for the Texas Senate seat in 2026 but finished third in the March GOP primary with 13.5% of the vote, behind Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn. He has been a Trump ally since endorsing him in 2022 and spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention; if confirmed, he said he would advance Trump's 'peace through strength' approach and deepen US-Saudi ties. The nomination, sent to the Senate along with several others, faces a tight confirmation window with only about two weeks of Senate floor time remaining before Election Day.