He's published books authored by Donald Trump, raised millions for his 2024 campaign, and helped him staff Washington with loyalists during the US president's second term.
Now Sergio Gor is set to become Trump's man in India, while also overseeing US relations with other South and Central Asian countries.
Last week, Trump announced that he was promoting Gor, his personnel chief, to be the next US Ambassador to India. He called Gor a great friend and someone he could fully trust to deliver on the agenda.
The 38-year-old's appointment comes at a time when relations between the two countries have become strained due to Trump's punishing tariffs on India.
Gor's appointment has evoked mixed reactions in India, with some observers saying that having a close Trump aide in the post is a positive sign for India-US ties. But others have questioned Trump's decision to share his India envoy with South and Central Asian countries, which includes Pakistan, with whom India shares a tense relationship.
Experts say that Gor's broad regional mandate threatens to expose India to an overreach by Washington in its affairs with Pakistan, including on the Kashmir issue - a red line for India.
The special envoy's additional designation will likely create some challenges, at least in India. India typically prefers not to be 'hyphenated' with Pakistan, says Alyssa Ayres from the Council of Foreign Relations, an American think-tank focused on US foreign policy.
Lawrence Haas, a former senior White House official and senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, says that it could also be Trump's way of signaling to Delhi that he doesn't think the role of ambassador to India needs to be a full-time job.
Trump, however, is no Obama. Unlike his predecessor's caution, Trump openly claimed credit for brokering an end to a recent four-day conflict between India and Pakistan - a claim India flatly denied, insisting no outside power played a role in the ceasefire.
It remains to be seen if Gor's presence in India will help smooth out such bumps and strengthen Washington-Delhi ties, or if he is here to crack the whip on Trump's biddings.
Gor's background as a trusted ally extends beyond mere political strategy; having worked closely with the Trump family, he is seen as a key player that could potentially reshape US-India relations amidst rising tensions.
India found itself in a similar situation in 2009, when the Obama administration reportedly considered appointing Richard Holbrooke as special envoy to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. Delhi reportedly lobbied against the move, leading to Holbrooke being appointed envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
