Trump announces new ambassador to Portugal
John Arrigo is currently the vice president of the Arrigo Auto Group, which operates in West Palm Beach, Fla., where Trump frequently hosts meetings at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
What?
US President-elect Donald Trump has announced the including new US Ambassadors to Portugal via a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
In a post on Wednesday, Trump said, “It is my great honor to announce that John Arrigo will serve as the next United States Ambassador to Portugal.”
Trump praised Arrigo, saying, “John is a highly successful entrepreneur in the automotive industry, and a champion golfer. For over thirty years, he has been an incredible leader in business in West Palm Beach, and is respected by all. I have known John for a long time. He will do an incredible job for our Country, and always put America FIRST.”
Biography
Arrigo is currently the vice president of the Arrigo Auto Group, which operates in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump frequently hosts meetings at his Mar-a-Lago resort, as reported by The Hill.
Between 1982 and 1985, he attended Florida Atlantic University, and it was during his studies there that he joined the Arrigo Auto company, part of the Morgan Automotive Group. Arrigo Auto operates dealerships in three cities in Florida: West Palm Beach, where Donald Trump has a residence, Fort Pierce, and Tamarac.
“The Arrigo Auto Group in Florida addresses the needs of each customer with utmost care. We understand you have high expectations, and as car dealers, we relish the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards consistently. Allow us to demonstrate our commitment to excellence,” reads the official website of the future ambassador’s company.
In 2019, John Arrigo told The Palm Beach Post that he managed five car dealerships in South Florida alongside his brother, Jim Arrigo, with approximately 600 employees.
Current Ambassador
Exactly one week ago, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, Randi Charno Levine, announced her resignation, effective January 19, 2025, the day before Republican Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated, following nearly three years of service.
In a farewell message shared online, Ambassador Randi Charno Levine expressed her gratitude to Joe Biden for the opportunity to serve her country, highlighted the key economic achievements of her tenure, and announced that she will become an Honorary Professor of Art Diplomacy at the Faculty of Human Sciences at the Catholic University of Portugal in the coming year.
“Serving as an ambassador has been one of the greatest honors of my life and an extraordinary adventure. It has been a privilege to represent the United States in Portugal—a country rich in history, culture, and a long-standing friendship. Together, we worked to strengthen the deep and enduring economic and cultural ties between our two nations,” said Randi Charno Levine.
US-Portugal trade growing
Last year, U.S. investment in Portugal quadrupled to €2.1 billion, making the world’s largest economy the top foreign investor in Portugal and the country's main trading partner outside the European Union.
Meanwhile, revenue from tourism from across the Atlantic rose by 30% year-on-year to €2.5 billion, driven by the 2 million Americans who visited Portugal in 2023.
Source: ECO
He has big shoes to fill....
Yikes yikes yikes. How embarassing.