Andrew F. Puzder, the former chief executive of the corporation that owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast-food chains, is President Trump’s pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the European Union.
Mr. Puzder, a frequent commentator on economic and business issues on networks like Fox Business, would not bring foreign policy experience to what is a prestigious and influential diplomatic position — representing the United States to a bloc of some of the wealthiest countries in Europe.
But Mr. Trump’s interactions with the European Union during his first term often focused on economic and trade issues. Mr. Trump clashed with the bloc in 2018, briefly imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum that prompted retaliatory measures by the European Union against billions in American goods. He has again threatened to impose tariffs on European countries, setting the stage for another trade war.
There are a number of other trans-Atlantic issues that Mr. Puzder, if confirmed by the Senate, would have a hand in: Russia’s war in Ukraine, and European military aid to Ukraine; Mr. Trump’s goal of cajoling European allies into increasing their military spending; the rise of right-wing governments in Europe; and Mr. Trump’s swift withdrawal from major international bodies, including the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement.
The position could also be precarious. Mr. Trump fired his first ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, after he testified to Congress during Mr. Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. The inquiry centered around charges of a “quid pro quo” in a push to have the Ukrainian government investigate the family of Joseph R. Biden Jr., then Mr. Trump’s likely 2020 election rival. Mr. Trump was accused of linking that demand to an official meeting between him and Ukraine’s newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky — as well as the continued flow of American military aid.
Mr. Sondland, who was involved in the effort to pressure Ukraine to announce investigations of Mr. Biden’s family, testified that “we followed the president’s orders” and that “everyone was in the loop.”
Mr. Trump had previously selected Mr. Puzder to serve as his labor secretary early in his first term, but Mr. Puzder’s nomination fell apart under bipartisan scrutiny of his business record and character. Democrats, unions and liberal groups criticized him for his remarks against workplace protections such as the minimum wage and overtime rules, and conservative publications seized on Mr. Puzder’s employment of an undocumented immigrant as his housekeeper. Republican senators ultimately turned against Mr. Puzder amid an accusation of spousal abuse that resurfaced during the confirmation process. Mr. Puzder has denied the allegation, and his ex-wife, Lisa Fierstein, retracted the claim of physical abuse.
If confirmed, Mr. Puzder would take over the ambassadorship from Mark Gitenstein, a veteran ambassador and longtime aide to Mr. Biden who first worked as a lawyer for him more than four decades ago. Mr. Gitenstein stepped down from his position on Jan. 17.
