President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Houston Rockets and a prominent businessman, as the US ambassador to Italy. Trump praised Fertitta as an accomplished businessman with a strong commitment to philanthropy, particularly in supporting children's charities, law enforcement, and the medical community.
In 2019, Fertitta found himself in the midst of controversy when the then-general manager of the Rockets, Daryl Morey, expressed support for protests in Hong Kong on social media. Fertitta sought to distance the team from politics in response to backlash from China, emphasizing that the Rockets were focused on promoting the NBA internationally and were not a political organization during a preseason game in Tokyo.
Additionally, Trump revealed his plan to nominate Brian Burch, the President of CatholicVote, as the next US ambassador to Vatican City. These nominations signal Trump's choices for key diplomatic positions, highlighting individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
