One of the most powerful figures in returning US President Donald Trump’s administration has turned out to a Maltese man originally from Cospicua.

Sergio Gor, a 38-year-old publisher and long-standing adviser to Trump, has taken his place in the new US administration as Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.

While not the most glamourous sounding position, Gor’s role will see him wield considerable influence in the Trump government, responsible for vetting the appointment of thousands of employees.

Described by media outlet The Dispatch as a “Trump devotee” and dubbed the informal “mayor” of Trump’s Mar-o-Lago Florida resort by The Daily Beast, Gor appears to have gained a reputation as a loyal member of the returned president’s inner circle.

Media reports paint a picture of a man who tirelessly worked his way up through the ranks of the Republican party – reportedly starting out as a lowly staffer donning a squirrel costume in an anti-Obama stunt in 2008 – to becoming one of Trump’s most trusted aides.

He is known for his strong relationships with the president’s allies and close family and has even reportedly been seen regularly DJing at parties held at the president’s Florida resort.

According to The Washington Post, those close to Gor describe him as “fun”, “incredibly agreeable”, “ruthlessly efficient” and having the president’s “full trust”.

But not all accounts of Gor are flattering; detractors of the political operative paint a picture of a Machiavellian figure bent on accumulating power.

It’s unbelievable what has happened here in Malta- Sergio Gor in fluent Maltese to One News in 2022

And while Gor has gained the most prominence under Trump, his support for high-profile Republican figures is nothing new; in 2008, he was an activist in ‘Catholics for McCain’, supporting the ultimately unsuccessful presidential bid of former US senator John McCain.

Speaking to Times of Malta at the time, Gor appeared to indicate his support for McCain’s low tax and anti-abortion credentials – issues that have become a mainstay of Trump’s policies.

On politics closer to home, Gor seems to approve of Malta’s recent governments, telling ONE News in 2022 – in fluent Maltese – the country had “advanced so much” while pointing to increased prosperity.

“I was with my friends, this one has a boat, that one has a motorbike, that one has a penthouse... in these last 20 years it’s unbelievable what has happened here in Malta,” he told the broadcaster.

Sergio Gor pictured with Donald Trump in July following the failed assassination attempt on the then president-elect. Photo: Sergio Gor/Facebook.

Ascendency

Gor left Malta in 1999, emigrating with his family to the US where he attended high school in suburban Los Angeles before continuing his studies at George Washington University, a private federally chartered research university in Washington D.C.

According to The Dispatch, Gor enrolled at university under the surname Gorokhovsky before later shortening it. The media outlet reported that personal acquaintances of Gor said he had been born in the former Soviet Union.

Following graduation, Gor is understood to have spent time with the Republican National Committee (RNC), before working for Republican representatives Randy Forbes, Michele Bachmann and Steve King – the latter two known for their flirtation with controversial and, at times, far-right political views.

After a stint at Fox News in New York, Gor worked for several years under libertarian conservative Kentucky senator Rand Paul, before entering Trump’s field of vision during his first presidency.

But it was when Trump departed the White House in 2021 that Gor’s ascendency really began.

The year Trump left office, Gor headed to Florida with his outgoing boss and joined forces with Donald Trump Jr – the president’s eldest son from his first marriage – to found conservative publishing house Winning Team Publishing.

In September, the company published the returning president’s Save America book, its front cover featuring a photo of Trump bloodied and fist raised following an assassination attempt in July.

Gor also fundraised for Trump’s super political action committee (PAC) – a type of organisation that pools and distributes campaign donations – Right for America, which raised more than $72 million for Trump’s election campaign.

Sergio Gor alongside returned US President Donald Trump. Photo: Sergio Gor/Facebook

Power

Following Trump’s return to power earlier this month, Gor assumed his role as director of the Presidential Personnel Office, an appointment announced by Trump’s transition team at the end of last year.

The role puts Gor in charge of vetting at least 4,000 political appointments as Trump takes office, including more than 1,000 jobs requiring senate approval.

While an important role for any administration, Trump’s reliance on loyalists and allies makes Gor’s position particularly powerful in the new administration.

Last month, former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz – who withdrew from consideration as attorney general last year over ongoing sexual misconduct allegations – told The Washington Post Gor’s role would see him become “like the general manager of the government”.

And his power could grow as Trump’s administration continues.

Gor’s role would see him become like the general manager of the government- Former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order effectively reinstating ‘Schedule F’ – a 2020 decree reclassifying thousands of federal employees as political hires.

Gor pictured aboard Air Force One with Donald Trump and others, according to a Facebook post from 2020. Photo: Sergio Gor/Facebook.

The move stripping those affected of civil service protections – part of a controversial package of reforms called ‘Project 2025’ which Trump had previously disavowed – means it will be considerably easier for the new administration to fire those workers and replace them with loyalists.

And should that happen, Gor will be the one vetting the applications of those applying for the vacant positions.

While Malta’s terms at the helm of the OSCE and on the UN Security Council ended last year, its presence on the world stage, it seems, is far from over.