President Donald Trump welcomed Tom Barrack, whom he nominated as the Ambassador to Ankara, at the White House. Trump lauded Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stating that “It’s a good country; its leader is also good.” After receiving Senate approval, President Trump met with some ambassador nominees who will travel to different countries around the world. In a brief statement alongside other ambassador nominees, Barrack expressed his pleasure in working with Trump and thanked him, describing Turkey as “one of the oldest civilizations.” President Trump responded to Barrack’s words by saying, “It’s a good country; its leader is also good.” Who is TOM BARRACK? Barrack, 77, born and raised in California, completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California and earned his law degree from San Diego University. Barrack, a grandson of Lebanese Christian immigrant family who migrated from Zahle, Lebanon to the U.S. in 1900, grew up in Culver City, Los Angeles, where his father was a grocer and his mother was a secretary. A rugby player during his student years, Barrack worked as a lawyer in Saudi Arabia. In the 1980s, he served as Deputy Undersecretary of the Interior in the Reagan administration and was a neighbor to the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, in Rancho del Cielo, California.