Trump Appoints Morgan Ortagus as Deputy Middle East Peace Envoy

The former State Department spokesperson and Navy Reserve officer will serve under Steven Witkoff in the president-elect's second administration.

Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokesperson and Navy Reserve intelligence officer, has been named Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace by President-elect Donald Trump.
Ortagus will work under Steven Witkoff, a real estate executive previously appointed as the Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace.
Trump's announcement included mixed remarks, noting Ortagus's past criticisms of him but highlighting her Republican support and prior diplomatic experience.
Ortagus was part of the team that worked on the Abraham Accords during her tenure at the State Department from 2019 to 2021 and has also served in intelligence and financial roles at the Treasury Department.
Her previous political career included a short-lived congressional campaign in Tennessee, which ended after she was removed from the ballot by the state Republican Party for not meeting specific candidate requirements.