David Brat bound for Australia as diplomat confirmed as next US ambassador

Former Republican state congressman, who once argued Christianity and capitalism should merge, confirmed by US Senate to fill long-vacant role Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Former Virginia congressman David Brat has been confirmed by the US Senate to be the next US ambassador to Australia, after the role had been left vacant for 18 months. Brat’s confirmation was among more than 70 votes pushed through the Senate by Republicans on Friday, Washington time, before the summer recess. Brat was nominated by Donald Trump in April. The 61-year-old served two terms in Congress until 2018, when he was defeated by a Democrat, and was vice-president of business relations at Virginia’s Liberty University. The ambassador role had been vacant since November 2024, when Joe Biden’s ambassador, Caroline Kennedy, left the post. Anthony Albanese in April said he would work with anyone Trump nominated, when asked to respond to Brat’s earlier claims that US intelligence agencies conspired to remove Trump from office. “We respect the sovereignty of countries to put forward ambassadors just like we expect our choices to be endorsed,” he said at the time. The foreign affairs