Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 6
Nate Hochman Lands 2 State Department Roles After 2023 DeSantis Campaign Firing
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 6

Nate Hochman Lands 2 State Department Roles After 2023 DeSantis Campaign Firing

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 6

Summary

  • Nate Hochman now serves at the State Department as deputy director of policy planning and as Secretary Marco Rubio’s chief speechwriter, according to his email signature.
  • His appointment follows a 2023 firing from Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign after he promoted a pro-DeSantis video that briefly showed an image embraced by white supremacists.
  • Within a year, Hochman resurfaced at America 2100 — a right-wing group tied to Rubio — and later worked for a Republican senator on Capitol Hill before joining the department.
  • State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott called Hochman a trusted, key member advancing the president’s foreign policy agenda, while Hochman did not respond to a request for comment.
  • The move underscores how public controversy has not barred some figures from rising into senior roles in Washington, particularly within the Trump administration.

Insights

What vetting criteria allow government agencies to overlook past controversies when hiring high-level executive talent?