Senate Confirms Matt Whitaker As Trump's Ambassador To Nato

The Senate confirmed Matt Whitaker late Tuesday as President Donald Trump's U.S. ambassador to NATO, a crucial emissary to the Western alliance at a time of growing concern about the American commitment abroad.

Whitaker, who had served in Trump's first administration at the Justice Department, brings a law enforcement background rather than deep foreign policy or national security ties. He was confirmed by the Senate on a vote of 52-45.

During a confirmation hearing, Whitaker assured senators that the Trump administration's commitment to the military alliance was "ironclad."

Trump has long been skeptical, and often hostile, toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , which was formed by the U.S. and other countries in the aftermath of World War II as a deterrent to potential aggression from what was then the Soviet Union.

The U.S. commitment has been called into question due to Trump's sharp criticism of European allies and his eagerness to build ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has pushed other countries to contribute a greater share of their budgets to their the own defense, rather than relying on the U.S.