Jeffrey Ross Gunter

Last updated

In July 2020, CBS News reported that Gunter was "paranoid" about his security in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, despite its status as one of the world's safest cities. Gunter asked the State Department to seek special permission from the Icelandic government for him to carry a gun, had requested to wear a "stab-proof vest" and have door-to-door armored car service. [10] Three diplomatic sources interviewed by CBS News said that Gunter was persuaded not to arm himself because doing so would be perceived as insulting to Iceland; the embassy nevertheless placed an advertisement in the Icelandic press seeking full-time Icelandic bodyguards, which CBS News' sources described as a way to "placate Gunter's 'irrational' concerns." [10]

According to those interviewed by CBS News, the work climate at the Embassy in Reykjavik was "untenable" under Gunter's leadership. In fewer than two years on the job, Gunter had seven deputy chiefs of mission (DCMs). (The deputy chief of mission is the second-highest position at the embassy.) [10] One DCM was reportedly rejected by Gunter because the ambassador "didn't like the look of him" at their first meeting. [10] The second DCM spent only six months in Iceland, and was followed a series of short-term temporary DCMs with whom Gunter reportedly clashed. [10] CBS News also reported that Gunter "accused others of various, unsubstantiated infractions, including trying to undermine him to Washington and being complicit with the 'deep state.'" [10]

In February 2020, after taking personal leave after a conference in Washington, Gunter refused to return to his post in Reykjavik. The State Department attributed Gunter's delayed return to Iceland to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, "multiple sources in Washington, Reykjavík, and elsewhere said Gunter wanted to work remotely from California and told senior officials he would not go back overseas unless expressly ordered to do so by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo". [10] A series of senior State Department officials failed to persuade Gunter to return. After Pompeo called him, Gunter returned to Iceland in May 2020. [10] Gunter is controversial in Iceland, with many objecting to his description of COVID-19 as "the Invisible China Virus!" on Twitter. [10]

In late October 2020, Icelandic newspaper Fréttablaðið reported that an employee of the embassy had contracted COVID-19. The article also stated that the relocation of the embassy was fast-tracked despite the fact that an employee had contracted the coronavirus. Gunter reportedly sought to ensure that the move would be complete before the upcoming US presidential election. [11] Following the publication, the US embassy Facebook page posted a statement claiming the article was “irresponsible,” “shameful,” and “fake news.” [12] The statement asserted that the embassy was “one of the safest havens from COVID-19 in Reykjavík.” The post incorrectly claimed that Iceland had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in Europe. [13]

In 2021, the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General released a report indicating that Gunter had created a "'threatening and intimidating environment'" at the embassy. [14]

Political involvement

Gunter was registered as a Democrat in California, but did not contribute to Democratic candidates. [14] Gunter's dermatology practice began in California in 1992 and expanded to Nevada in 1995; he changed his residency to Nevada in 2019. [15]

Donations to Republican Party

He has a history of donating to Republican Party candidates and is a member of the board of directors of the Republican Jewish Coalition. [16] In 2016, he donated $58,563 to several state Republican Party organizations, $33,400 to the Republican National Committee and $5,400 (the maximum contribution) to Donald Trump's presidential campaign. [5] Gunter also gave $100,000 to the Trump Victory PAC and $100,000 to Trump's inaugural committee. [9]

2024 Senate campaign

Gunter is running the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from Nevada in 2024, seeking to challenge Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen. [14] In the Republican primary, he is running against Sam Brown, former state Representative Jim Marchant, former lieutenant governor candidate Tony Grady, and nine other candidates. [14] [17]

Republican Party leaders discouraged Gunter from entering the 2024 race, in part because of his record as ambassador and in part because he had not previously voted in any Nevada election. [14] The National Republican Senatorial Committee and its chair Steve Daines, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, instead supported Brown. [14] [17] The Koch network's Americans for Prosperity Action super PAC also ran ads in support of Brown. [14] On the campaign trail, Gunter emphasized his loyalty to Trump, described himself as a "staunch supporter" of Trump and what he called Trump's "brilliant" policies, [14] and airing a television ad calling himself "110% pro-Trump" and using Trump slogans. [17] During the race, Gunter declined to say whether he believed the 2020 elections was "stolen" from Trump, declined to say whether he supported a national restriction on abortion, and expressed uncertainty on the causes of climate change. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republican National Committee</span> Top institution of the U.S. Republican Party

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fundraising and election strategy. It does not have direct authority over elected officials. It is also responsible for organizing and running the Republican National Convention. When a Republican is president, the White House controls the committee. According to Boris Heersink, "political scientists have traditionally described the parties' national committees as inconsequential but impartial service providers."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chic Hecht</span> American politician (1928–2006)

Mayer Jacob Hecht was an American Republican politician and diplomat who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 1983 to 1989, and as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas from 1989 to 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Heller</span> American politician (born 1960)

Dean Arthur Heller is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator representing Nevada from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 15th secretary of state of Nevada from 1995 to 2007 and U.S. representative for Nevada's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2011. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Brian Sandoval and elected to a full term in the 2012 election. Heller unsuccessfully ran for a second term in 2018, losing to Democrat Jacky Rosen. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Nevada in 2022, and is currently the last Republican to win a Nevada U.S. Senate seat.

The Nevada Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Nevada. The organization has a history that goes back to 1864. The party currently controls Nevada's governorship, controllership, and lieutenant governorship, which are currently held by Joe Lombardo, Andy Matthews, and Stavros Anthony respectively.

The Never Trump movement, also called the #nevertrump, Stop Trump, anti-Trump, or Dump Trump movement, is an ongoing moderate conservative movement that opposes Trumpism and former U.S. president Donald Trump. It began as an effort on the part of a group of Republicans and other prominent conservatives to prevent Republican front-runner Donald Trump from obtaining the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Maine</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in Maine was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Maine, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. This was Maine's first election for its Class 2 seat to use its ranked choice voting system. Because the first round of the general election saw a majority (51%), the instant runoff tabulation of more than 800,000 ballots was not carried out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Republican Party presidential primaries</span>

Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place in many U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories from February 3 to August 11, 2020, to elect most of the 2,550 delegates to send to the Republican National Convention. Delegates to the national convention in other states were elected by the respective state party organizations. The delegates to the national convention voted on the first ballot to select Donald Trump as the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in the 2020 election, and selected Mike Pence as the vice-presidential nominee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States elections</span>

The 2024 United States elections are scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. During this presidential election year, the president and vice president will be elected. In addition, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested to determine the membership of the 119th United States Congress. Thirteen state and territorial governorships and numerous other state and local elections will also be contested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Craft</span> American businesswoman and diplomat (born 1962)

Kelly Dawn Craft is an American businesswoman, politician, and former diplomat who served as the 30th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. She was confirmed as the US ambassador to the United Nations by the US Senate by a vote of 56–34, and was officially sworn in September 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carla Sands</span> American businesswoman and diplomat (born 1960)

Carla J. Sands is an American businesswoman who is chair and CEO of Vintage Capital Group. During the Trump administration (2017–21) she was U.S. ambassador to Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Braun</span> American businessman and politician (born 1954)

Michael Kent Braun is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Indiana since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented the 63rd district in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2014 to 2017. Braun was elected to the United States Senate in 2018, defeating Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly. He is the Republican nominee for governor of Indiana in the 2024 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John James (Michigan politician)</span> American politician and businessman (born 1981)

John Edward James is an American politician, businessman, and veteran serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he was its nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in South Carolina</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in South Carolina was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. South Carolina voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. South Carolina has nine electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States Senate election in Nevada</span>

The 2024 United States Senate election in Nevada will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Nevada. Incumbent Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, elected in 2018 over incumbent Republican Dean Heller, is seeking a second term in office. Primary elections took place on June 11, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leora Levy</span> Cuban-American businesswoman (born 1957)

Leora Mariana Levy is a Cuban-born American businesswoman and politician. She was the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William W. Popp</span> American diplomat

William W. Popp is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Uganda since September 2023. He previously served as the United States ambassador to Guatemala.

The following is a timeline of major events leading up and during the 2020 United States presidential election, the 59th quadrennial United States presidential election, from January to October 2020. For previous events, see Timeline of the 2020 United States presidential election (2017–2019). For subsequent events, see Timeline of the 2020 United States presidential election

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election</span>

The 2021 Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election was held on March 20, 2021. It was triggered by the death of Republican congressman-elect Luke Letlow on December 29, 2020, who died from a heart attack while being treated for COVID-19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Hovenier</span> American diplomat

Jeffrey M. Hovenier is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Kosovo since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Brown (military)</span> American politician and military veteran

Samuel Boaz Brown is an American political candidate and military officer. He served in the United States Army during the War in Afghanistan, and sustained burns to thirty percent of his body due to an improvised explosive device injury in 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "About us - Ambassador Jeffrey Ross Gunter, former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland". April 27, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Jeffrey Ross Gunter (?–)". Office of the Historian. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Former ambassador to Iceland Jeffrey Gunter mulling Senate run in Nevada". The Nevada Independent. June 6, 2023.
  4. ↑ Vakil, Caroline (August 7, 2023). "Jeffrey Gunter, ambassador to Iceland under Trump, announces Senate run in Nevada". thehill.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lancaster dermatologist appointed ambassador to Iceland". The Antelope Valley Times. August 22, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Ambassador Jeffrey Ross Gunter". US Embassy in Iceland. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  7. ↑ PN2431 — Jeffrey Ross Gunter — Department of State: 115th Congress (2017-2018), Congress.gov.
  8. ↑ PN126 — Jeffrey Ross Gunter — Department of State: 116th Congress (2019-2020), Congress.gov.
  9. 1 2 Emily R. Siegel, Andrew W. Lehren, Brandy Zadrozny, Dan De Luce & Vanessa Swales, Donors to the Trump inaugural committee got ambassador nominations. But are they qualified?, NBC News (April 3, 2019).
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ruffini, Christina (July 26, 2020). "Controversial U.S. Ambassador to Iceland wants firearm, security for Reykjavik post". CBS News. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  11. ↑ Oddur Ævar Gunnarsson. "Kappkosta við flutninga fyrir kosningar í kjölfar smits". Fréttablaðið. October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020 (in Icelandic).
  12. ↑ US Embassy Reykjavik Iceland (October 29, 2020). "Has Fake News Arrived in Iceland?". Facebook. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  13. ↑ Gréta Sigríður Einarsdóttir. "US Embassy Accuses Icelandic Newspaper of Irresponsible Journalism and Fake News". Iceland Review. October 30, 2020, Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The GOP Senate candidate whose Trump ambassador stint is coming back to haunt him". POLITICO. August 14, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Jessica Hill, Former ambassador lays out priorities in race for Senate, Las Vegas Review-Journal (September 21, 2023).
  16. ↑ Samuels, Ben (August 17, 2023). "Revealed: Who the big Jewish donors are backing in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries". The Forward.
  17. 1 2 3 Gabby Birenbaum, Week later, underdog Nevada GOP Senate hopeful Gunter's ad buy begins to materialize, Nevada Independent (April 10, 2024).
Jeff Gunter
Jeffrey R. Gunter official photo.jpg
Official portrait, 2019
United States Ambassador to Iceland
In office
July 2, 2019 –January 20, 2021
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Iceland
2019–2021		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.