Arizona Republican Kari Lake will not serve as Donald Trump’s next U.S. ambassador to Mexico as the president-elect has tapped former CIA official Ron Johnson for the role.
Lake was reportedly a top contender for the key diplomatic position in Trump’s upcoming administration, according to a Monday report Semafor, which cited unnamed sources. The Hill also reported that rumors about Lake being in line for the role had been circulating in Mexico for weeks.
Trump announced Tuesday that Johnson, his former ambassador to El Salvador, was his nominee for the Mexico position. “Ron will work closely with our great secretary of state nominee, Marco Rubio, to promote our nation’s security and prosperity through strong America First foreign policies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Mexico ambassador role could take on even greater importance once Trump enters office. Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico may face strain as Trump has proposed hard-line deportation policies and plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from Mexico unless the country tackles the flow of illegal migrant crossings and drugs such as fentanyl.
Lake shared a cryptic social media post hours before Trump announced Johnson as his pick for ambassador to Mexico. “It’s fun watching the Fake News embarrass themselves time and time again,” Lake posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsweek has contacted a spokesperson for Lake, the Trump transition team, and an office linked to Johnson for comment via email outside regular working hours.
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Lake, a staunch Trump supporter and 2020 election denier, echoed Trump’s stance on tough immigration policies during her Senate race in Arizona. Lake lost to Democrat Ruben Gallego in the November 5 election. She also lost the 2022 race for Arizona governor to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Lake has not conceded either race and frequently tried—and failed—to overturn the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial results in court, citing unsubstantiated claims of voting irregularities.
Barry Markson, an attorney and radio talk show host in Phoenix, Arizona, posted on X “Kari Lake loses again,” while sharing Trump’s announcement of Johnson’s nomination.
The Patriotic Takes account, which says it is dedicated to “exposing right-wing extremism,” added: “Kari Lake wasn’t named ambassador to Mexico. She talked tough for 4 years in Arizona, but looks like she is now running away. Maybe she was afraid of the cartels.”
Johnson spent more than 20 years at the CIA and also served as a U.S. Army Green Beret.
He was confirmed by the Senate as ambassador to El Salvador on June 27, 2019. Johnson’s nomination for the Mexico ambassador role will also require Senate confirmation by a simple majority vote.
“Congratulations, Ron. Together, we will put an end to migrant crime, stop the illegal flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” Trump said.