With Bill Taylor, the former ambassador to Ukraine, taking center stage in the impeachment inquiry on November 13, 2019, some people are wondering about his politics.
Is Taylor a Democrat or Republican? The answer to that is mixed. He once worked for a Democratic senator, but President Donald Trump dubbed him a “never Trumper,” a term often applied to the group of Republicans who vowed to never vote for the president in the 2016 election and after (and there’s no evidence that Taylor has said anything of the sort.) Taylor denied being a “never Trumper” during the impeachment inquiry.
No one’s unearthed any political donations for him, but his wife donated to a Democratic PAC and his dad donated to various Republicans and the Republican Party, which are both things he disclosed to Congress when he was named U.S. ambassador to Ukraine by George W. Bush. He has served in the parties of presidents of both parties, and has been named to top diplomatic posts by Bush and Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In interviews with multiple news outlets, Taylor is typically described as a career diplomat who has earned respect by people on both sides of the aisle. He’s also a Vietnam veteran. Interesting biographical detail: He’s the first cousin of Tipper Gore, the former Second Lady of the United States (you can read more about that detail here). His lawyer is a Republican who was harshly critical of Trump.
“I have dedicated my life to serving U.S. interests at home and abroad, both in military and civilian roles,” Taylor told House investigators in October. “My background and experience are nonpartisan, and I have been honored to serve under every administration, Republican and Democratic, since 1985.”
Here’s what you need to know about Taylor’s politics:
Taylor Once Worked for Democrat Bill Bradley But Is a Career Foreign Service Officer
GettyBill Taylor
Bill Taylor Jr. is a career foreign service officer and Vietnam War veteran with experience in the Middle East. Specifically, he’s now known as the chargé d’affaires to Ukraine. His family has deep roots in Virginia, biographical research into Taylor shows.
Bill Taylor is a Vietnam and Army veteran and a graduate of West Point, was recently a leader at the U.S. Institute of Peace, oversaw U.S. reconstruction efforts in Iraq for a year, and is currently chargé d’affaires for the U.S. government to Ukraine (chosen by Pompeo). He has served in the administrations of presidents from both political parties. He’s married to a religious scholar named Deborah Furlan Taylor.
A career diplomat, he once “served on the staff of Senator Bill Bradley,” according to his Embassy bio. Bradley was a Democrat who was the U.S. Senator from New Jersey.
“Taylor is among the country’s most experienced diplomats, and has served in every administration of both parties since 1985,” a New York Times profile on him says. Officials who served presidents in both parties have praised his career and character.
President Trump has called Taylor a “Never Trumper.” CNN reported there is no evidence for this or political donations under Taylor’s name and other identifying information. His wife once donated to a Democratic PAC, 21st Century Democrats, which endorsed Barack Obama’s Senate campaign, Congressional records show. Republican President George W. Bush appointed Bill Taylor ambassador to Ukraine in 2006. That year, Congressional records show, Taylor disclosed his wife’s donation (and his dad’s numerous donations to Republicans, the Republican National Committee and Republican Party). Here’s the Congressional record on that:
Taylor’s 2006 disclosures in the Congressional record.
Taylor’s lawyer John Bellinger is a Republican who has been publicly critical of Trump. According to NBC News, Bellinger was described as a “Never Trumper.” He was a senior official in President George W. Bush’s administration. He is responsible for writing the letter signed by prominent Republicans right before the 2016 election that warned that people should note vote for Trump and predicting that he would turn out to be the “most reckless President in American history.”
Bill Taylor’s text message to Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the EU and a wealthy GOP donor and hotelier, is now the focal point of controversy over President Donald Trump and Ukraine. “As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” Taylor wrote to Sondland on September 9, 2019 at 12:47 a.m. You can see the full text exchanges released by the House here. You can read Taylor’s statement to House lawmakers here. His full name is William B. Taylor Jr. (William Brockenbrough Taylor Jr.) Taylor is testifying publicly during the impeachment inquiry on November 13, 2019.
Bill Taylor is a Mount Vernon grad.
Bill Taylor Served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine From 2006 to 2009
Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, arrives at a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees October 22, 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
A State Department history defines Taylor as a “Career Foreign Service Officer” who lives in Virginia. The bio says that he served as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Ukraine)” from 2006 through May 23, 2009.
According to Interfax Ukraine, when Taylor’s term ended, then “Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko decorated him with the order of merit of the third degree.”
As chargé d’affaires, his role now is to “lead our team during this period of historic elections and transition,” according to a statement by the U.S. Embassy Kyiv. “Ambassador Taylor brings a wealth of diplomatic experience to our team during this important moment in U.S.-Ukraine relations.”
Taylor has held key posts in the Middle East.
“Most recently, he was the Executive Vice President of the U.S. Institute of Peace,” his Embassy bio says. “During the Arab Spring, he oversaw assistance and support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria at the State Department.” He spent time working for the U.S. government in Israel.
“He also served in Jerusalem as the U.S. Government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet, which facilitated the Israeli disengagement from Gaza and parts of the West Bank,” the biography stated. Taylor does have some political experience. He “served on the staff of Senator Bill Bradley,” according to his Embassy bio. He also played important roles during both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “He oversaw reconstruction in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, and served in Kabul as coordinator of international and U.S. assistance to Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003. Ambassador Taylor also coordinated U.S. assistance to the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe,” the bio reads.
“He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and served as an infantry platoon leader and combat company commander in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Germany,” his bio reads.
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