David Becker/Getty Images for National Clean Energy Summit(NEW YORK) — As President-elect Donald Trump expands his search for Secretary of State, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s name has crept into the mix. “I’m honored and thrilled to be on that list,” Huntsman told ABC News, although he cautions that no formal meetings have been set up yet.
Huntsman was Ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011, and praised Trump’s phone call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. Huntsman also spent time as a missionary in Taiwan.
Here is everything you need to know about him:
Full name: Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. Party: Republican Age: 56 Birthdate: March 26, 1960 Education: Bachelors’ Degree, University of Pennsylvania
What he does now: Huntsman is chairman of the Atlantic Council, an International Affairs think tank, and co-chairman of No Labels, a political organization that describes itself, according to its website, as “the voice for the New Center, for the tens of millions of Americans who have effectively been abandoned by Democrats and Republicans alike.”
What he used to do: From 2005 to 2009, Huntsman was Governor of Utah, and subsequently became Ambassador to China, nominated by President Obama. This was Huntsman’s second stint as an ambassador in Asia — he was U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993. He ran as a candidate in the 2012 Presidential race, but withdrew after the New Hampshire primary.
Things you may not know about him: Huntsman has seven children, including two daughters adopted from China and India. His relationship with Trump: Although Huntsman endorsed Trump in May, he was among those who called on the President-elect to withdraw from the race after 2005 audio of Trump bragging about his ability to grope women surfaced.
“In a campaign cycle that has been nothing but a race to the bottom —- at such a critical moment for our nation -— and with so many who have tried to be respectful of a record primary vote, the time has come for Governor Pence to lead the ticket,” he said in a statement to the Salt Lake Tribune.
What we know about his world view: As a 2012 Presidential Candidate, Huntsman was opposed to a nuclear-armed Iran, but never specified what would lead him to use force over sanctions and diplomacy, which he said he preferred. He supported the withdrawal of forces from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In regards to Russia, Huntsman argued that the U.S. relationship with the country should be viewed more objectively.
During a GOP Presidential debate in January 2012, Huntsman said the U.S. relationship with China is the most important one of the 21st century.
In a break from Trump, however, Huntsman is a proponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trade is all too often blamed for the economic challenges our country faces,” he wrote in “The National Interest” this past summer. “This is especially the case in this campaign season where America’s engagement globally is under assault.”
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