President-elect Donald Trump has selected Bill White, a gay businessman and philanthropist, to serve as U.S. ambassador to Belgium. White will represent the United States in Belgium, a key European ally and home to NATO headquarters, if the U.S. Senate confirms him.
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In a Saturday post on Truth Social, Trump announced White’s appointment, praising his leadership and dedication to supporting military service members. “I am pleased to announce that Bill White will serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium,” Trump wrote. He called White “a highly respected businessman, philanthropist, author, and advocate for our Nation’s Military, Veterans, and First Responders,” and highlighted White’s work raising over $1.5 billion for wounded service members and their families.
White, who previously supported Democratic stars former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has more recently become a prominent ally and fundraiser for Trump. He has publicly supported progressive causes, including the push to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, where he was an influential voice in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2012, White denounced Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for his opposition to marriage equality, calling it “the wrong side of history,” Politico reports.
White and his husband, Bryan Eure, moved to Georgia in 2018, where White quickly became a fixture in Republican donor circles. By 2024, he had become a major fundraiser for Trump’s campaign, hosting high-profile events and helping to raise millions for Trump’s political and legal battles.
White’s professional history includes both notable achievements and controversies. He previously served as president of New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a role he left in 2010 following a state investigation into a pension fund scandal. At the time, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo accused White of accepting fees as a middleman between investment firms and the state pension fund. White cooperated with investigators and paid a $1 million settlement, though he was not criminally charged.
