U.S. media are reporting that the White House has asked former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman to become the next U.S. ambassador to Russia, and he has accepted the offer.
Citing anonymous White House officials, Politico, the Associated Press, and NBC News are reporting that President Donald Trump will nominate Huntsman for one of the most sensitive and high-profile ambassadorships at a time when the FBI and Congress are investigating allegations of Russian interference in last year's presidential election.
Huntsman, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, was ambassador to Singapore under President George H.W. Bush and served as ambassador to China under President Barack Obama.
He was an outspoken critic of Trump during last year's campaign, calling on Trump to drop out of the presidential race after the release of a recording on which Trump bragged about groping women.
But Politico, which first reported the White House's choice of Huntsman, said that Huntsman has since warmed to the president and the two have developed a cordial relationship.