Christopher Landau

Christopher Landau
Official portrait, 2025
23rd United States Deputy Secretary of State
Assumed office
March 25, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byKurt M. Campbell
United States Ambassador to Mexico
In office
August 12, 2019 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byRoberta S. Jacobson
Succeeded byKen Salazar
Personal details
Born
Christopher Thomas Landau[1]

(1963-11-13) November 13, 1963
Madrid, Spain
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Caroline Bruce Landau
​
​
(m. 1997)​
RelationsSigalit Landau (cousin)
Children2
ParentsGeorge W. Landau (father)
EducationHarvard University (BA, JD)

Christopher Thomas Landau (born November 13, 1963) is an American lawyer and Republican politician who has been the 23rd United States Deputy Secretary of State since 2025. He was the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 2019 to 2021.[2][3]

A lawyer, Landau clerked for then-judge Clarence Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[4] He later clerked for Justices Antonin Scalia and Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1990 and 1991 terms.

In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Landau to be the United States Deputy Secretary of State. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2025.

Personal life

Landau was born in Madrid, Spain while his father was working there for the Department of State.[4] He studied at Harvard University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor.

In 1997, Landau married Caroline Bruce. They have two children.

From 1994 to 1995, Landau was a professor of administrative law at the Georgetown University Law Center.[5] In 2017, the Chief Justice of the United States appointed him to the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.[6]

United States Ambassador to Mexico

On March 26, 2019, President Donald Trump nominated Landau as United States Ambassador to Mexico.[7] On August 1, 2019, the Senate unanimously confirmed his nomination by voice vote.[8][9] He was sworn into office on August 12, 2019.[10][11][12] As Ambassador, Landau made the issue of immigration a top policy priority.[13]

As Ambassador to Mexico, Landau was known for using social media many times. Landau tweeted in Spanish "This is an outrage! … Mexico has to be #1!" so that more people could follow him on Twitter. By July 2020, Landau's follower count had gotten bigger to 245,000.[14] In September 2020, Landau was accused of cyberbullying a Mexican college student who criticized him on Twitter.[15]

After Joe Biden replaced Trump as President, Landau left his job as ambassador in 2021, and was replaced by former U.S. Senator from Colorado Ken Salazar.[16]

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State

Nomination

On December 8, 2024, Landau was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the United States Deputy Secretary of State for his second administration.[17]

During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 4, 2025, Landau supported removing USAID and proposed that it be replaced by private sector investment.[18] The Committee voted 16–6 in favor of his nomination on March 12, 2025. Landau won the support of some Democrats.[19] On March 24, 2025 the Senate confirmed his nomination 60–31.[20]

Tenure

Landau was sworn in as the 23rd United States Deputy Secretary of State on March 25, 2025.[21]

References

  1. ↑ "The rise and fall of petro-liberalism : United States relations with socialist Venezuela". Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  2. ↑ "PN523 — Christopher Landau — Department of State". United States Congress. August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Rinde protesta Christopher Landau, nuevo embajador de EU en México". August 12, 2019. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Interview with Christopher Landau". Interviews with Max Raskin. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  5. ↑ Tillman, Zoe; Tamkin, Emily (November 19, 2018). "A Lawyer With Conservative Ties And No Diplomatic Experience Is Being Vetted For US Ambassador To Mexico". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  6. ↑ "COMMITTEES ON RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE CHAIRS and REPORTERS" (PDF). www.uscourts.gov. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "Seven Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
  8. ↑ "PN523 — Christopher Landau — Department of State". United States Congress. August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Congressional Record".
  10. ↑ "Christopher Landau rinde protesta como embajador de EU en México" (in Spanish). August 12, 2019. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Christopher Landau new US ambassador arrives in Mexico with his family". August 16, 2019.
  12. ↑ "AMLO se reúne con el embajador de EU en México, Christopher Landau". August 26, 2019.
  13. ↑ Krauze, León (February 11, 2021). "Biden's ambassador to Mexico will face steep challenges and an already prickly relationship". Washington Post.
  14. ↑ Armstrong, Mia (2020-07-29). "Trump's Ambassador to Mexico Wants to Be a Star on Mexican Twitter. It's Complicated". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  15. ↑ Green, Emily (September 15, 2020). "Trump's Ambassador to Mexico Is Bullying a College Student Online". Vice. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  16. ↑ Post, Justin Wingerter | The Denver (2021-08-11). "Colorado's Ken Salazar confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Mexico". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  17. ↑ "Trump Picks Former Ambassador to Mexico for Deputy Secretary of State". The New York Times. December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Trump State Department nominee says private sector investment should replace foreign aid". South China Morning Post. 2025-03-05. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  19. ↑ Oswald, Rachel (2025-03-12). "Senate panel backs diplomatic nominees after Democratic delay". Roll Call. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  20. ↑ "PN12-25 - Nomination of Christopher Landau for Department of State, 119th Congress (2025-2026)". www.congress.gov. March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Christopher Landau". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2025-03-26.

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