Trump selects Michel Issa to be US ambassador to Lebanon

"An exceptional businessman"

Source: L'Orient-Le Jour

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he had selected Michel Issa to be the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.

"I am proud to appoint Michel Issa as the United States ambassador to Lebanon," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "Michel is an exceptional businessman, a financial expert, and a leader with a remarkable career in banking, entrepreneurship, and international trade."

"I have no doubt that he will serve our country with honor and distinction," he added. "Congratulations, Michel!" 

A source close to Donald Trump's circles indicated to L'Orient-Le Jour that Issa is Trump's personal friend and a golf partner.

On his LinkedIn account, Issa, based in New York, specifies that he was born in Beirut. He studied economics at the University of Paris X. He then worked at the Union of Arab and French Banks, Chase Manhattan Bank, Banque Indosuez and Crédit Agricole. He mentions in his profile his passion for cars, tennis and golf. In 1999, he left the banking sector to focus on cars and acquired Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen dealerships.

"His company generated an annual turnover of 35 million dollars and experienced significant growth before he decided to split the dealerships into three separate entities and sell them in 2010," his LinkedIn profile states.

The appointment of Michel Issa must still be confirmed by the Senate, but Democrats have vowed to block President Donald Trump's nominations for diplomatic positions in protest against measures to close the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and integrate it into the State Department.

The current U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa A. Johnson, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 14, 2023, and took office in Beirut in January 2024, succeeding Dorothy Shea.