GREENWOOD, NEBRASKA - MAY 01: Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the I-80 Speedway on May 01, 2022 in Greenwood, Nebraska. Trump is supporting Charles Herbster in the Nebraska gubernatorial race. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump named handbag designer Lana Marks as the next U.S. ambassador to South Africa.
Marks, who is known for designing handbags for many Hollywood celebrities, is reportedly a Mar-a-Lago club member. Her handbags are often made from the skins of exotic animals like alligators and ostriches. The White House released a statement pointing out Marks’ service on Harvard Kennedy School’s Women’s Leadership Board and her education in South Africa. Marks speaks Xhosa and Afrikaans, two of the African nation’s 11 official languages.
The South Africa ambassador position is one of several State Department roles that have yet to be filled. According to The Hill, a spokeswoman for the department said in May that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is prioritizing the filling of all these vacancies.
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“This is a priority of his,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters at the time. “He said that in his hearings on Capitol Hill, he said that to us privately, and I know he’s alluded that to all of you publicly, as well.”
Marks will serve in the new position as long as she is confirmed by the Senate, which remains under Republican control.
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The Palm Beach Daily once reportedly compared Marks to Trump, calling her “a relentless self-promoter.”
Mar-a-Lago charges a $200,000 membership fee. Marks is now the second member of the prestigious resort to join the Trump administration. Robin Bernstein, one of the club’s founding members, is the U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic.
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