Woody Johnson, a billionaire investor turned owner of a National Football League team, is to be nominated by Donald Trump as the new US ambassador to Britain, the White House has confirmed.

Confirming the long-running rumour that Johnson would be put forward for the job, Trump’s spokesman confirmed the New York Jets owner would face Senate approval for the diplomatic post.

The planned appointment showed Trump’s commitment to closer ties with Britain, Theresa May’s spokeswoman said on Friday.



“We are looking forward to working with the new US ambassador once that is confirmed,” she said. “His close personal relationship with the president shows the commitment of the administration to the special relationship between our two countries.”

In January, Trump referred to Johnson, 70, as “ambassador” during remarks at a lunch and said he was “going to St James”.



The Jets owner is a longstanding Republican who worked on Jeb Bush’s campaign for the party’s presidential nomination but switched to Trump’s a few months before last November’s election.

Like Trump, he has faced questions about tax arrangements, with avoidance schemes used by his investment firm in the spotlight. He settled with the US Internal Revenue Service, paying all the outstanding taxes and interest, having claimed he had done nothing illegal and relied on professional advisers.

Johnson also helped raise money for Trump’s presidential campaign and donated funds to help pay for his inauguration.

He spends much of his time raising funds for charities that are close to his heart, including those combating lupus and juvenile diabetes. His father was the president of the family business – Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical and medical equipment company.

The billionaire businessman and philanthropist will hand over his role as chief executive and chairman of the Jets to his brother, Christopher, should the nomination be approved.

The team’s president, Neil Glat, said: “On behalf of the entire organisation, we would be extremely proud to see Woody nominated and confirmed as US ambassador. We could not be more excited for him and his family.”

The nomination has to be approved by the US Senate, which will also decide on Trump’s choice of ambassador to Belgium, Jamie McCourt.

McCourt was co-owner and chief executive of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team until 2009.