Overview
- President Donald Trump announced the appointment on Truth Social, and Mark Savaya publicly accepted, pledging to strengthen the U.S.–Iraq partnership.
- Savaya founded Leaf & Bud, a Detroit-area marijuana dispensary chain, a background that has prompted questions given that cannabis is illegal in Iraq and much of the region.
- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani called the move an important step, citing Savaya’s Iraqi roots and relationships.
- Elizabeth Tsurkov credited Savaya with playing an instrumental role in securing her release after more than two years in captivity by Kataib Hezbollah.
- Trump highlighted Savaya’s role in boosting Muslim-American turnout in Michigan, with records also showing a 2020 donation to Trump’s campaign.