Aug. 21 (UPI) — Former fast-food executive Andrew Puzder officially became the U.S. ambassador to the European Union during a swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday at the White House.
Puzder, 75, swore his oath of office in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump in attendance.
A 13-second clip of the ceremony, posted online by Margo Martin, special assistant to Trump, shows Puzder with his hand on the bible reciting an oath read to him by Secretary of state Marco Rubio.
“Congratulations to our Ambassador to the European Union, @AndyPuzder!” The White House said on X, posting a picture from the ceremony.
The Senate confirmed Puzder’s nomination to the ambassadorship on Aug. 2 with a 53-44 vote.
An April certificate of competency for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations describes Puzder as a “globally renowned business leader, political commentator, author, attorney and a retired chief executive officer.”
He is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute and Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy and a member of the Reagan Institute’s National Leadership Council.
“America just gained a superb EU Ambassador,” the right-wing think tank Heritage Foundation said on X.
Puzder also frequently delivers lectures on economic and policies at various associations and academic institutions.
He also has contributed expert commentary for The Wall Street Journal, National Review, RealClearPolitics and Fox News and has authored several books.
Puzder earned a bachelor’s from Cleveland State University and a juris doctorate from the Washington University School of Law.
“Mr. Puzder’s broad understanding of international economic development and decades of experience in a range of professional settings make him a well-qualified candidate to be the U.S. representative to the European Union,” according to the competency certificate.
It’s the second time that Trump nominated Puzder for an important position within his administration.
He initially was Trump’s Labor Department secretary nominee during the president’s first term in 2017, but he withdrew his consideration a day before his scheduled Senate confirmation hearing.
Puzder was subject to claims of alleged spousal abuse and employing a housekeeper who was not a legal “immigrant” when he withdrew his consideration.
His former wife denied the allegations against Puzder.
Puzder formerly was the chief executive officer of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s owner CKE Restaurants for 17 years and helped the fast food chain recover from its financial troubles.