Trump to nominate Huntsman for Russia ambassador

The White House announced Tuesday evening President Donald Trump wants former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to be the next U.S. ambassador to Russia. If he clears Senate confirmation, Huntsman would become a key diplomat to the Russians amid investigations into alleged election meddling and potential collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Huntsman, 57, served as governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Before that, Huntsman served the Obama administration as U.S. ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011. He also was President George H.W. Bush’s ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993. Speculation began in March that Trump would choose Huntsman for the position, but The Washington Post reported the White House delayed the nomination for months waiting for approval from the Kremlin. Huntsman, a Mormon, initially hesitated to endorse Trump last year during the tumultuous Republican primary campaign. But he ultimately threw in his support once Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in May 2016.