Trump Picks ‘God Bless The USA’ Singer’s Wife As US Ambassador To Barbados, 6 Caribbean Nations
US President Donald Trump has nominated Kimberly Greenwood, the wife of his favourite patriotic singer Lee Greenwood, as the next US ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, placing a longtime Trump associate in a key diplomatic role.
Kimberly Greenwood’s nomination was sent to the US Senate on Monday and will require confirmation before she can take up the post. If confirmed, she will serve as ambassador to Barbados and, without additional compensation, as the US envoy to St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Greenwood thanked Trump on Instagram after her nomination, posting a photograph with the president and her husband.
“Mr. President, thank you for believing in me and entrusting me with this extraordinary opportunity to serve,” she wrote.
Her connection with Trump goes back nearly two decades. Lee Greenwood said his wife worked with Trump for 18 years when Trump owned the Miss Universe Organisation, where Kimberly Greenwood directed state pageants.
Her husband is perhaps best known for his patriotic anthem ‘God Bless The USA’, which has been a regular walk-on song for Trump at political events. Trump and Lee Greenwood have also worked together commercially, including the sale of a USD 59.99 ‘God Bless The USA Bible’.
The appointment is likely to draw attention because Trump has frequently relied on political allies, donors and supporters for ambassadorial positions. Such appointments are not unusual in Washington, with presidents from both parties historically giving a substantial share of ambassadorial posts to political supporters.
Trump’s latest diplomatic nominations extend beyond the Caribbean. He has also nominated Texas Republican Representative Wesley Hunt as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The post has been vacant since Trump began his second term in January 2025.
Hunt, a US Army veteran who served in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, recently ended his campaign for the US Senate and is not seeking re-election to the House. If confirmed, he will take charge of the US mission in Riyadh amid escalating tensions involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.
The White House has also announced nominees for vacant ambassadorial positions in Haiti, Somalia, Djibouti and Suriname, making Monday’s announcements part of a broader reshaping of Trump’s diplomatic team.
Trump’s record of political appointments has previously produced controversies. During his first term, Gordon Sondland, a major inaugural donor, served as ambassador to the European Union before giving damaging testimony during Trump’s first impeachment and subsequently being fired. Former ambassador to Iceland Jeffrey Ross Gunter also faced criticism over his request for armed bodyguards.
In Britain, former ambassador Robert “Woody” Johnson faced allegations that he attempted to steer the British Open towards a Trump resort in Scotland and made racist and sexist remarks. Johnson denied some of the allegations.
Kimberly Greenwood’s nomination now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether Trump’s longtime associate will become the US diplomatic representative across Barbados and six other Eastern Caribbean nations.