Donald Trump highly values loyalty.
He has rewarded supporters with appointments, even in the face of political expediency.
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is the latest to reap the rewards of supporting Trump and not jumping ship along the way.
Johnson was picked by Trump to be ambassador to the United Kingdom.
From the Telegraph:
Donald Trump has formally nominated Woody Johnson, the billionaire owner of the New York Jets American football team, as US ambassador to Britain, the White House announced on Thursday.
The nomination of Mr Johnson, who will now require Senate confirmation to take up the diplomatic post, was widely expected after Mr Trump referred to the 70-year-old as “ambassador” during remarks at a luncheon in January.
In the announcement, the White House cited Mr Johnson’s asset management firm The Johnson Company and his 16 years of being the chairman and CEO of the Jets.
Mr Trump said in January that Mr Johnson was “going to Saint James”, a reference to the official title of Ambassador of the United States to the Court of St James.
Mr Johnson was a top donor to Mr Trump during the presidential campaign, and was named in November as finance chair of his inaugural committee.
A long-time Republican donor, Mr Johnson helped raise money for George W Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney when they were the party’s nominees. He served as finance chairman for Jeb Bush earlier in the 2016 campaign.
Mr Johnson’s great grandfather founded Johnson & Johnson, the medical supplies manufacturer.
Matthew Barzun was the previous US ambassador to the UK. He was appointed in 2013 by Barack Obama and stepped down in January this year, before Mr Trump’s inauguration.
Once confirmed, Mr Johnson’s residence in London will be Winfield House, a mansion in Regent’s Park that boasts 12 acres of grounds – second only to Buckingham Palace in terms of largest private gardens in the capital.
It has been the US ambassador’s official residence since 1955.
As for the day-to-day operations, Johnson will be forced to cede control to his younger brother.
From ESPN:
If Johnson is…approved by the Senate, his younger brother, Christopher Johnson, 58, will assume the role of chairman and CEO of the Jets, the team announced.
[…]
Woody Johnson, 70, would remain the owner but be required to live in the United Kingdom. It’s a three-year appointment.
[…]
Daniel Rooney, the late Pittsburgh Steelers patriarch, served as the U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012.
Luckily for Woody Johnson, he won’t have to watch his NFL team up close and personal this upcoming season.
The Jets will be strategically bad this year, shaving salary and intentionally going with a lackluster talent at the quarterback position.
At 200-1, the Jets have the third worst odds of winning the Super Bowl.