U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday announced he will nominate former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich to be the U.S. ambassador to Serbia, following reports earlier this year that he was considering former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for the position.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that Brnovich, who is of Serbian descent, “will be a strong advocate for Freedom, and always put AMERICA FIRST.”
POLITICO had previously reported that Brnovich was in consideration for the role of America’s envoy to the Balkans country.
An Army National Guard veteran, he served as Arizona’s top prosecutor from 2015 to 2023. He ran in the 2022 Senate election, but lost to Trump’s preferred pick, Blake Masters, in the GOP primary.
Brnovich is not expected to face many hurdles for confirmation, as his views are seen as within the mainstream of the Republican Party and he does not have a particularly controversial background relative to other Trump nominees for diplomatic postings.
It’s unclear why Trump selected Brnovich over Blagojevich — a Democrat-turned-stalwart backer of the president, who was also said to be under consideration for the role. Blagojevich’s relationship with Trump dates back decades, and he defended the president during his legal troubles in 2023 and 2024.
Blagojevich was convicted on 17 federal corruption charges in 2011, including wire fraud and conspiracy to solicit bribes, and impeached by an overwhelming vote of the Illinois Legislature. Trump commuted his conviction in 2020.
Trump then pardoned the former Illinois governor in February, furthering speculation that Trump would reward Blagojevich with a diplomatic post or that Blagojevich would be then cleared to run for office again. Federal law prohibits U.S. ambassadors from having felony convictions.
Asked about Brnovich’s nomination, Blagojevich said Brnovich “will be great.”
“Mark is highly qualified, dedicated and hard-working. He loves America and will advocate for and advance American national interests,” Blagojevich continued.
The Arizona Republican will be thrust into one of the most challenging diplomatic posts. Serbia is currently experiencing serious political unrest over allegations of corruption and the curtailment of human rights under President Aleksandar Vučić and his government. And Serbia has been heavily courted by the U.S., Russia and China in recent years as the countries seek to boost their influence in the Balkans.
Serbia and the broader Balkan region have also been the subjects of intense personal interest from allies of Trump. The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., recently met with Vučić in Belgrade as he and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner look to build a hotel in the Serbian capital.
Shia Kapos contributed to this report.