President-elect Donald Trump of the United States named Adam Boehler his special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, an important post with a multi-faceted mission aimed at navigating through hostage cases. Making the announcement on December 4, Trump cited experience held by Boehler, who acted as chief negotiator of the historic Abraham Accords in 2020-a milestone set of agreements marking new normalization pacts between the State of Israel and a number of its Arab neighbors.
“Adam has negotiated with some of the toughest individuals in the world, including the Taliban, but he understands that no one is tougher than the United States of America—especially with President Trump at the helm. Adam will work tirelessly to bring our great American citizens home,” Trump stated during the announcement. Boehler previously served as the chief executive officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, a federal agency created during Trump’s first term that expired in 2021.
In addition to Boehler’s appointment, Trump also announced the nomination of Daniel P. Driscoll, a venture capitalist from North Carolina, to become Secretary of the Army during his next term. “I am pleased to nominate Daniel P. Driscoll from the great state of North Carolina. As a former soldier, investor, and political advisor, Dan brings a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. He also named Peter Navarro as his trade adviser.
Speculation abounds over who might replace Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the post as he prepares to start his second term in office. Hegseth, a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and former Fox News host, has faced scrutiny over his personal conduct since being nominated, including allegations of mistreating women.
DeSantis, who had earlier contested against Trump in the Republican primary, was also tagged “Trump 2.0” by many; it is believed that he could further the populist agenda of the President-elect with much ease if brought into prominence.
