A former Republican congressman and ally to Donald Trump, David Brat, has been confirmed as the US’ top diplomat to Australia. The US Embassy in Australia congratulated Brat on his nomination within hours of the vote passing. Brat later said he would prioritise critical minerals and commercial diplomacy; defence cooperation and Indo-Pacific relations while serving as ambassador. Brat dodged a question about Australia having a “real China problem” during the hearing. He was regarded as one of Congress’s most conservative lawmakers and was a member of the Freedom Caucus, the House of Representatives’ most conservative bloc.