President Donald Trump has nominated Austin Holmes of Florida to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Haiti, selecting a businessman with nearly two decades of experience working in the country.
The nomination was among a group of diplomatic and federal appointments sent to the Senate on September 14, 2026. Holmes cannot take office as ambassador unless the Senate confirms his nomination.
If confirmed, Holmes would take on the diplomatic post at a critical time for Haiti, as the country continues to face armed-group violence, displacement, political uncertainty and a prolonged security crisis.
Who Is Austin Holmes?
Holmes is the CEO of RallyX, where he leads a portfolio of companies working in areas including defense, health care, construction and transportation. His professional biography says his work in Haiti began shortly before the devastating 2010 earthquake.
Over the years, Holmes has worked in disaster response, humanitarian operations and security. His biography says he has coordinated relief efforts following major disasters, including the 2010 and 2021 earthquakes and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. It also describes work with Haitian authorities and U.S. agencies, including USAID and the Department of Defense.
Holmes has also held leadership roles with Mission of Hope, a humanitarian organization with extensive operations in Haiti. Mission of Hope currently lists him as a board member, while his February Senate testimony identified him as the organization’s chairman.
Holmes Testified Before the Senate About Haiti
Holmes is not new to discussions in Washington about Haiti.
On February 10, 2026, he testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs during a hearing titled “Haiti 2026: Security and Foreign Assistance Priorities.”
He appeared alongside Henry Wooster, the U.S. chargé d’affaires to Haiti. Official Senate records identified Holmes at the time as CEO of Caribbean Security Group and chairman of Mission of Hope.
During the hearing, Holmes argued for a security-first approach to the crisis, saying improved security and freedom of movement were necessary for humanitarian organizations to deliver assistance effectively. He also advocated for expanding Haitian capacity and using humanitarian corridors to help aid reach communities.
Those views are important context, but they should be described as Holmes’ policy positions, not as established U.S. policy simply because he has now been nominated.
What Happens Next?
The nomination now goes through the Senate confirmation process. Until that process is completed, Holmes is the nominee for ambassador — not the U.S. ambassador to Haiti.
If confirmed, he would become Washington’s top diplomatic representative in Haiti at a time when security, humanitarian assistance and Haiti’s political transition remain major issues in U.S.-Haiti relations.
His previous work in Haiti would also make his nomination notable: unlike someone arriving in the country for the first time, Holmes has spent years working with humanitarian organizations, businesses, government agencies and local partners there.
