Outspoken Advocate for Free Markets Heads to Brussels as US Ambassador to EU

Andrew Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants, was sworn in by Trump as the new ambassador to the European Union.

Andrew Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants, exits after his meeting with president-elect Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club, in Bedminster Township, New Jersey on Nov. 19, 2016. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

At a White House ceremony on Aug. 20, Andrew Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants, was sworn in by President Donald Trump as the United States’ new ambassador to the European Union.

Puzder, an outspoken critic of corporate politicization, the application of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework, and the ideological influence of global asset managers over U.S. companies, was confirmed for the position, based in Brussels, by the Senate on Aug. 2. The vote was 53–44.

Upon nominating Puzder to the post in January, Trump said, “Andy will do an excellent job representing our nation’s interests in this important region.”

The State Department issued a statement in April that his “broad understanding of international economic development and decades of experience in a range of professional settings make him a well-qualified candidate to be the U.S. Representative to the European Union.”

Current issues between the United States and the EU include tariff negotiations, the war in Ukraine, and Europe’s online censorship laws.

In July, the Trump administration agreed on a framework for a tariff deal with the EU, according to which the EU would buy $750 billion in U.S. energy exports and invest $600 billion in the United States by 2028. The EU also agreed to lower tariffs on U.S. farmers, ranchers, and fishermen and to address quotas and other nontariff barriers.

Negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine are currently ongoing, with significant involvement from EU member nations. Although progress has been cited, no agreement to end the war has yet been reached. Issues include Russia’s demand to control parts of Ukrainian territory and Ukraine’s demands for security guarantees to prevent a future Russian invasion.

In February, Vice President JD Vance spoke out against EU laws and actions that he said violated basic rights, including freedom of speech, which U.S. officials said could also be used to silence Americans.

Vance warned attendees at the Munich Security Conference in Germany about what he called “the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”

In response, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Vance was “comparing parts of Europe with authoritarian regimes,” which he said was “not acceptable.”

Regarding online censorship, Europe’s Digital Services Act, passed in 2022, now mandates fines of up to 6 percent of global revenue for social media and other web companies, including U.S. companies, that carry speech within Europe that is deemed illegal by any European country. In Germany, for example, illegal speech can include insulting government officials.

Some analysts have said that this could lead tech companies to implement algorithms that limit online speech globally, including in the United States, according to EU law—the so-called Brussels effect—rather than run the risk of incurring EU fines or attempt to manage the process of geofencing content for each jurisdiction.

Puzder, a Tennessee resident, has been outspoken on political and economic issues, advocating for free markets and against government intervention.

He was formerly the personal attorney of Carl Karcher, founder of CKE Restaurants, which includes Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. In 1986, Puzder was named CEO of the company and is credited with expanding it to more than 3,800 restaurants while leading the company out of financial difficulties.

Puzder lectures at colleges and universities on economics, is a senior fellow at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, is a fellow for Business and Economic Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, is a senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute, and is a member of the Reagan Institute’s National Leadership Council. He has been a frequent commentator for the Wall Street Journal, the National Review, Fox News Online, and RealClearPolitics, and he appeared in the Epoch Times documentary on ESG titled “The Shadow State.”

He has written several books on business and economics and writes frequently on political and economic topics for the Andrew Puzder blog.

Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, called Puzder “a staunch defender of American sovereignty” and said he would “unapologetically advance policies that put America first,” including “standing firm against rejoining the Paris Climate Accords, resisting efforts to cede [U.S.] authority to the World Health Organization, and championing fair trade agreements.”

He was nominated for labor secretary in 2017, during the first Trump administration, but his nomination was withdrawn because of insufficient support in the Senate.

Democrats and labor unions criticized him for his opposition to minimum wage laws and employing an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper. Puzder said he was unaware that she was in the United States illegally while she worked for him.