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Trump announces plan to nominate "John Huntsman" as ambassador to Russia

The White House announced Tuesday it intends to nominate former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to be the new U.S. ambassador to Russia.

“Governor John Huntsman (sic) has had a distinguished career as a politician, diplomat, and businessman,” the Office of the Press Secretary said in a statement Tuesday that misspelled Huntsman’s first name.

“His robust record of public service includes service as U.S. Ambassador to China and to Singapore, Deputy United States Trade Representative, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development,” the statement said.

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Like President Trump, Huntsman is a billionaire whose family chemical company, Huntsman Corporation, has reportedly had numerous business dealings in Russia. And like many of Trump’s relationships, theirs has been fraught with tension, insults, and rude tweets.

And though Huntsman formally endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election despite “fundamental philosophical differences” between them, he later urged Trump to drop out of the race after the “Access Hollywood” tapes were released.

“In a campaign cycle that has been nothing but a race to the bottom — at such a critical moment for our nation — and with so many who have tried to be respectful of a record primary vote, the time has come for Governor Pence to lead the ticket,” Huntsman told the Salt Lake Tribune after the audio of Trump discussing grabbing a woman “by the pussy” became public.

The Trump administration still has 114 roles out of 124 in the State Department to fill, according to the Washington Post citing data from the Partnership for Public Service. Ninety-one of those positions still don’t have a nominee.