Doug Mastriano

The U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee advanced Doug Mastriano's nomination as ambassador to Slovakia on party lines. Mastriano, nominated by President Donald Trump, faces scrutiny over his 2020 election-related activities, including hosting Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and attending the Jan. 6 rally. The committee heard testimony about his military background and NATO experience.

Sen. John Cornyn threatens to block President Donald Trump’s ambassador nominations of Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano unless the administration commits to funding the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Cornyn, part of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, could prevent the nominations without assurance of PEPFAR funding, following his primary loss to Ken Paxton and recent disputes with Trump’s appointees.

Senator John Cornyn threatens to block the ambassadorial nominations of Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano unless the Trump administration releases PEPFAR funds for AIDS relief in Africa. Cornyn states he will withhold votes on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unless the administration distributes the funds as appropriated by Congress.

Voters in Pennsylvania participated in primary elections for 40 state House and Senate seats, with over one million ballots cast. Key races included unopposed candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, while others faced challenges, including a write-in campaign for a former state senator now nominated as Slovakian ambassador. Results will be certified three weeks later, with some races remaining competitive.

President Donald Trump has nominated Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano to diplomatic posts as ambassadors to Jamaica and Slovakia respectively. Both nominations require Senate confirmation. They previously lost gubernatorial bids in Arizona and Pennsylvania.