President Donald Trump has picked former fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder to serve as ambassador to the European Union. Puzder was previously nominated to serve as Secretary of Labor during Trump’s first term, but ultimately withdrew due to allegations of spousal abuse, labor law violations and tax avoidance.
Trump praised Puzder — the former chief of CKE restaurants, which is the parent company of Hardee's and Carl's Jr. — as a “successful attorney, businessman, economic commentator, and author,” in a Truth Social post announcing the nomination Wednesday.
“During his 17 year tenure as CEO, Andy led the company out of serious financial difficulty, allowing it to survive, become financially secure, and grow,” Trump continued. “Andy will do an excellent job representing our Nation’s interests in this important region. Congratulations Andy!”
Puzder celebrated the announcement in a post on X, saying, “It will be an honor to help implement the Trump administration’s policies internationally. Together, we will protect America’s interests in the EU.”
The latest nomination comes nearly eight years after Puzder withdrew his nomination on February 15, 2017, to lead the Labor Department. He came under fire for allegations of prior spousal abuse, which he has denied. His former wife also disavowed the claims as part of a child custody agreement, saying she “impulsively filed for a divorce without [Puzder’s] knowledge and was counseled then to file an allegation of abuse,” according to an open letter.
Puzder also faced criticism from Senate Republicans for employing an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper and failing to pay taxes for her services.
