After 17 whole months of the ambassador's residence in Canberra collecting dust and the Australian government presumably just leaving voicemails that nobody returned, the Trump White House has finally nominated someone to represent the United States down under.
The pick, according to The Guardian, is David Brat - a former Republican congressman from Virginia who served two terms in the House of Representatives before losing his seat to a Democrat in a tight 2018 race. Brat has since landed on his feet at Liberty University, where he serves as vice-president of business relations. Which, honestly, sounds like a perfectly fine gig until someone offers you a beachside diplomatic posting in one of America's closest Pacific allies.
Who exactly is David Brat?
If the name rings a bell, it might be because Brat pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in recent US political history back in 2014, when he defeated then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary - a result that sent shockwaves through Washington and caused approximately one million pundits to dramatically reassess everything they thought they knew about American politics.
He went on to represent Virginia for two terms before Democrat Abigail Spanberger flipped his seat in 2018. Since then, it's been the university life for Brat, until Australia apparently came calling - or rather, until Washington remembered Australia existed and needed a representative there.
Why does this vacancy even matter?
Australia is not exactly a minor diplomatic posting. It's a cornerstone of US strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, a key member of the AUKUS security pact, and a Five Eyes intelligence partner. Having the top US diplomatic seat in Canberra sit empty for nearly a year and a half is the geopolitical equivalent of ghosting your best friend - awkward, a little rude, and eventually requiring some explaining.
The nomination still needs to go through Senate confirmation before Brat officially gets to swap Virginia winters for Australian summers, so it's not quite a done deal yet.
But hey, after 17 months, at least someone's name is on the paperwork. Progress.
