Masso’s withdrawal of his nomination remains a mystery. He never received a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and neither the White House, State Dept, nor committee leaders would provide an explanation. However, Estonian officials made clear their concern that the Trump administration was “downgrading” their nation by replacing the current U.S. ambassador, a career diplomat, with Masso, who was a political appointee and acquaintance of former Trump advisor Steve Bannon.
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