James Holtsnider | |
|---|---|
| Official portrait, 2025 | |
| 26th United States Ambassador to Jordan | |
| Assumed office December 7, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Yael Lempert |
| Chargéd'affaires to Samoa | |
| In office May 2,2024 –January 3,2025 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James William Holtsnider |
| Education | University of Colorado Boulder (BA) Princeton University (MPP) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | U.S. Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1997 - 2004 |
James William Holtsnider [1] is an American politician,diplomat and former officer who served as the Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. He currently serves as the Ambassador to Jordan under the Second Trump Administration since December 2025. [2] [3] Previously,he served as the Chargéd'affaires to Samoa from May 2024 to January 2025. [4] [5]
In addition,he previously served as an Operations Officer in the Department's Operations Center and as the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Kuwait City. [2] [4]
In July 1997,Holtsnider enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps due to him needing a break from school. He served for six years,including as a Marine security guard at U.S. Embassies in Zimbabwe and Turkey. He later earned a Bachelors degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Masters degree from Princeton University. [2] [6] He served as an operations officer in the Department's operations center. He also served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Kuwait City. [2] He also served as the Ambassador to Samoa under the Biden Administration from May 2024 to January 2025. [5]
Holtsnider was nominated by U.S President Donald Trump as the Ambassador to Jordan. In October 2025,he went to Jordan to meet Secretary General of Jordan's Foreign Ministry Daifallah Alfayez. There,they discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the U.S and Jordan. [7] [8] He presented his credentials to King Abdullah II of Jordan on December 7,2025. In January 2026,he faced backlash after expressing outrage for the United States' support for Israel in the Gaza War. [9]