Appointment
On August 21,2018,Trump nominated Gunter to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Iceland. [6] The Senate took no action on the nomination,which expired on January 3,2019,at the end of the 115th Congress. [9] Trump then renominated Gunter on January 16,2019,at the outset of the 116th Congress. On May 23,2019,following a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,Gunter was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote. [10] Gunter presented his credentials on July 2,2019. [3]
Gunter had never visited Iceland prior to his nomination to the ambassadorship. [11]
Tenure
In July 2020, CBS News reported that Gunter was "paranoid" about his security in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík, 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. [12] 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." [12]
According to those interviewed by CBS News, the work climate at the Embassy in Reykjavík 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.) [12] One DCM was reportedly rejected by Gunter because the ambassador "didn't like the look of him" at their first meeting. [12] The second DCM spent only six months in Iceland, and was followed a series of short-term temporary DCMs with whom Gunter reportedly clashed. [12] 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.'" [12]
In February 2020, after taking personal leave after a conference in Washington, Gunter refused to return to his post in Reykjavík. 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". [12] A series of senior State Department officials failed to persuade Gunter to return. After Pompeo called him, Gunter returned to Iceland in May 2020. [12] Gunter is controversial in Iceland, with many objecting to his description of COVID-19 as "the Invisible China Virus!" on Twitter. [12]
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. [13] Following the publication, the US embassy Facebook page posted a statement claiming the article was “irresponsible,” “shameful,” and “fake news.” [14] 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. [15]
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. [16]
