“Stunning Reversal: Ex-Trump Ambassador Gordon Sondland Now Backs Trump, Ditches Biden-Harris!”
Gordon Sondland, the former Trump-appointed ambassador to the European Union, has made a dramatic about-face, announcing his support for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election after initially distancing himself from the former president following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Sondland, who became a temporary media darling for speaking out against Trump’s actions after the insurrection, now finds himself critical of the current Biden-Harris administration. This shift became evident during a recent interview with MSNBC’s Ari Melber, where Sondland cited what he sees as existential threats posed by current policies, both domestically and internationally. told by MSN.
Melber, hosting a panel discussion that included Sondland, former Trump advisor Peter Navarro, and former White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews, pressed Sondland on his prior condemnation of Trump’s behavior on January 6. “Why was it important for you to say ‘no more Trump’ after his January 6th conduct, and do you stand by that?” Melber asked.
Sondland’s response was surprising: “No, I don’t stand by it.” He explained that after experiencing four years under the Biden-Harris administration, his views had shifted. “Not only are those policies becoming an existential threat to our country’s way of life, but to our allies’ as well,” he said.
Melber, clearly taken aback, responded, “Here we are right now, and you’re saying it’s a yes for you?” Sondland didn’t waver: “It is a yes for me. That is how badly the Biden-Harris team have prosecuted their job.”
Sondland’s primary concern seems to be what he perceives as a broader series of attacks on democracy that, in his view, “eclipse January 6th.” This, he suggests, has been demonstrated through the Biden administration’s handling of international crises, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict in Israel, and tensions with China and Iran. In addition, Sondland criticized attacks on domestic democratic institutions, including free speech and the filibuster.
The reversal marks a stark contrast to Sondland’s previous stance. In 2022, Sondland had explicitly stated, “We are the most admired around the world for the way we turn over the keys to the next leader, and [Trump] really fed that up… I won’t support him.” This was around the time he was promoting his memoir, The Envoy: Mastering the Art of Diplomacy with Trump and the World. In that book, Sondland expressed critical but nuanced views of Trump, calling him “kind of a d” but also acknowledging that the 45th president was “essentially right” about several issues, particularly regarding U.S.-Europe relations.
Since then, however, Sondland’s outlook has evolved, in part due to his firsthand involvement in efforts to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Now acting as a “pro bono” lobbyist for Ukraine, Sondland argues that Biden’s foreign policy approach has failed to contain threats from adversaries like Russia and China, and he believes Trump’s unpredictable yet pragmatic approach would have deterred Russian aggression. report from CNBC.
“As a U.S. citizen who believes strongly in Ukraine’s survival and total victory, I felt it’s my duty — given where the Republican Party is headed right now — to forcefully advocate for support of Ukraine,” Sondland said. He went on to assert that Trump’s contrarian public praise for strongmen like Vladimir Putin masked a realpolitik approach to national security, claiming, “Trump does not like Putin at all. While he compliments Putin publicly, he does it because it’s a contrarian strategy.”
Sondland’s reversal has raised eyebrows, particularly among media figures who had embraced his earlier criticism of Trump. His return to supporting Trump has exposed the ongoing divide in American political discourse, with many on the left viewing January 6 as an unpardonable attack on democracy, while others, like Sondland, argue that more significant threats have emerged under the Biden administration.
For pundits like Melber, Sondland’s change of heart is difficult to comprehend, particularly as the former ambassador had previously placed such importance on the peaceful transfer of power. But for Sondland, the potential for a second Trump presidency seems preferable to four more years of what he views as a dangerously ineffective Biden-Harris administration.
As 2024 approaches, figures like Sondland remind the public that allegiances can shift in unpredictable ways, and the political landscape remains as volatile as ever. For Sondland, the stakes are no longer just about January 6—they involve the survival of democracies worldwide.