Former Virginia congressman David Brat, an expert on Ayn Rand who once argued for merging Christianity and capitalism, has been nominated by Donald Trump to serve as the next US ambassador to Australia. The nomination fills a 15-month vacancy in Canberra.
Background and Nomination
Brat, 61, served two terms in Congress until 2018, when he was narrowly defeated by a Democrat. He currently works as vice-president of business relations at Liberty University in Virginia. The White House announced his nomination for Senate confirmation on Tuesday morning, Australian time. The post has been vacant since Joe Biden's ambassador, Caroline Kennedy, departed in November 2024.
Political Context
The nomination comes at a tense period in US-Australian relations, as Trump has criticized the Albanese government for insufficient support in the US and Israeli-led war in Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In a 2022 interview with strategist Steve Bannon, Brat called on Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia as part of a peace deal proposed by Vladimir Putin.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, when asked about Brat's views and his claims of US intelligence conspiracies against Trump, pledged to work with any nominee. 'We respect the sovereignty of countries to put forward ambassadors, just as we expect our choices to be endorsed,' he said.
Education and Career
Brat was born in rural Michigan, where his father was a doctor and his mother a social worker. His family moved to Minnesota in the late 1970s. He studied business administration at a Michigan university and later earned a PhD in economics from American University. He also holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he wrote a thesis on logical positivism and its impact on economic science, according to Time magazine. He has connections to Catholic, Calvinist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist congregations.
Ideological Leanings
In a 2011 paper, Brat argued for merging capitalism and Christianity, writing: 'If we all did the right thing and had the guts to spread the word, we would not need the government to backstop every action we take.' Described by Time as a 'Tea Party professor' and Ayn Rand 'enthusiast,' he co-authored a 2010 paper on the moral foundations of Rand's writing.
Aligned with the Republican Tea Party movement, Brat achieved a historic upset in 2014 by defeating then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Virginia primary. He later joined the GOP Freedom Caucus but lost his seat in 2018 to Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who was elected governor of Virginia last year.
Diplomatic Appointments
Brat's nomination coincides with other bureaucratic appointments. The Albanese government's new ambassador to Washington, former defence secretary Greg Moriarty, has replaced former prime minister Kevin Rudd. In Canberra, US chargé d'affaires Erika Olsen is due to leave in coming months.
Trump's first ambassador to Australia, Washington lawyer Arthur B. Culvahouse, was appointed two years into his first term. Shadow foreign minister Ted O'Brien welcomed the appointment, stating: 'The alliance remains central to Australia's future, but there is no shortage of work to do on the relationship. I look forward to working with Mr. Brat.'
