Trump Nominates Natalie Baker as Pakistan Ambassador
The White House sent Senate nomination of career diplomat Natalie A. Baker to serve as US ambassador to Pakistan.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in International Relations
President Trump nominated Natalie A. Baker, a career Senior Foreign Service member who has led the US Mission in Pakistan as chargé d'affaires since January 2025, to be US ambassador to Pakistan. The White House sent the nomination to the US Senate on Monday, and it is subject to Senate confirmation.
Why it matters
The nomination fills a post left vacant after Donald Blome departed in early 2025, following a period of nearly two years without a US ambassador in Islamabad. If confirmed, Baker would be the first US ambassador to Pakistan since that departure.
The nomination names Baker as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Confirmation by the US Senate has not yet taken place, and no timeline for a vote was included in the nomination record.
The players
Natalie A. Baker
Natalie A. Baker is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, with prior postings in Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, and Libya.
Donald Blome
Donald Blome served as US ambassador to Pakistan from May 2022 until he left the post in early 2025.
The details
Baker joined the US Embassy in Islamabad as Deputy Chief of Mission in August 2024 and previously served as director of the Office of North African Affairs at the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. She holds a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.
Timeline
May 2022: Donald Blome assumed charge as US ambassador to Pakistan.
August 2024: Baker joined the US Embassy in Islamabad as Deputy Chief of Mission.
January 2025: Baker became chargé d'affaires leading the US Mission in Pakistan.
Early 2025: Blome left the US ambassador post in Pakistan.
Monday, November 9, 2026: The White House sent Baker's nomination to the Senate.
Legacy Ties
Baker's nomination continues a pattern of US ambassadorial vacancies in Islamabad, following the nearly four-year gap that ended when Donald Blome assumed the post in May 2022. Her appointment would mark the end of the second such gap in recent years.
A confirmed ambassador would restore a full-time US envoy in Islamabad after a gap of nearly two years, affecting how bilateral policy is directed on the ground. Until confirmation, the US Mission in Pakistan continues under Baker's leadership as chargé d'affaires.
The takeaway
Ambassador posts are filled through Senate confirmation, so Baker's nomination is a step rather than a final appointment. Readers following US-Pakistan relations can track the Senate vote as the next concrete development.
What happens next
The nomination now awaits review and a confirmation vote by the US Senate, with no date set in the source material.
Further reading
For broader background on US diplomatic appointments abroad, see International Relations.
