President Trump Is Sending Scott Brown to New Zealand

The ex-senator will be ambassador to the island nation, Trump announced.

Photo via AP

Photo via AP

Looks like Scott Brown is headed to New Zealand after all.

The ex-Massachusetts Senator has been tapped to serve as ambassador to the island nation, the Trump administration announced Thursday.

Rumors that Brown would soon be headed to the other side of the planet to serve in the role first emerged earlier this year. Brown had perviously sought the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a job that went to David Shulkin instead.

The White House on Thursday released a statement on Trump’s intention to nominate Brown to be “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to New Zealand” cites his career in the National Guard, his law degree, his run as a Massachusetts Senator, and his tenure as a contributor at Fox News.

It wasn’t clear back then what made Brown particularly suited to the position, although the avid bicyclist and triathlete did say in an interview with GQ it would be a dream-come-true to bike through the country’s beautiful, mountainous terrain. The Globe‘s Roy Greene, for his part, thinks Scott Brown and New Zealand, due to their good looks and reputations for ruggedness, would be a great mix.

New Zealand has regarded the handsome American politician with some curiosity since the news started leaking out. Local coverage of the possible ambassadorship includes this unforgettable headline: Man tipped for US ambassador role in NZ a former nude model who supports waterboarding.

For reasons that escape me right now, in February we did a round-up of some other people named Scott Brown in the country. There are many. An Israeli spiritual guide, for example, and the owner of a cafe where someone once accused a politician of pulling her hair.