Rufus Gifford
Rufus Gifford | |
---|---|
United States Ambassador to Denmark | |
In office September 13, 2013 – January 20, 2017 | |
President | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Laurie Fulton |
Succeeded by | Carla Sands |
Personal details | |
Born | John Rufus Gifford August 5, 1974 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Stephen DeVincent (m. 2015) |
Parent |
|
Education | Brown University (BA) |
Awards | Order of the Dannebrog |
John Rufus Gifford (born August 5, 1974) is an American politician, and diplomat, who has served as Finance Chair of the
In 2012, Gifford was Finance Director for
He was Deputy Campaign Manager for Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.
Early life and education
Gifford grew up in
After college, Gifford moved to Hollywood and worked as an assistant to producer John Davis. During his time there, he became the associate producer for Daddy Day Care, Life or Something Like It, and Dr. Dolittle 2, and he appeared as an actor in the films Garfield: The Movie and The Hiding Place.[3]
Political career
Gifford started in Democratic politics by working on
He first met Senator Barack Obama in January 2007, at a party hosted by Senator Ted Kennedy. Prior to the meeting, Gifford had been offered a job on Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, but he declined and instead accepted the same job with Obama's campaign.[2][4]
After Obama took office, Gifford served as Finance Director for the
U.S. Ambassador to Denmark (2013-2017)
On August 1, 2013, Gifford's nomination from President Obama to be the next United States Ambassador to the
In his capacity as the Ambassador, he helped modernize the transatlantic relationship through youth engagement and institution-building, among other bilateral and global issues. He outlined a diplomatic strategy that prioritized non-traditional audiences and people-to-people relationships. As part of a never-before-seen public diplomacy strategy,[7] he was the subject of the documentary series I am the Ambassador, broadcast on the principal public service channel for youth and for several weeks was its most watched program. Its first season tracked his professional and personal life over three months in six episodes, including a conversation with Mitt Romney, a screening of an HBO film for the Danish film industry, and his own 40th birthday party.[8] When it was renewed for a second season, Gifford made the announcement himself speaking Danish in a video posted on Facebook.[9] The series won the Big Character award at the 2015 TV-Prisen award-show.[10][11][12]
As Ambassador, he traveled to
Gifford was an integral part of bringing the American art form of Long Form Improvisation to Denmark. In September 2016, he appeared in the premiere performance at the first improv theatre in Denmark, Improv Comedy Copenhagen. He said, "No matter what you are doing, you always have to allow time to laugh, smile and have fun. And creating that balance is incredibly important."[14][15] Gifford served as an honorary board member of the American-Danish Business Council.[16]
On January 16, 2017, Gifford was awarded the Grand Cross of the
His service in Denmark ended upon the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who allowed no US ambassadors to continue to serve under his administration.[18]
Post-ambassadorship
On November 13, 2017, Gifford announced on
In August 2019, when President Trump expressed an interest in buying Greenland from Denmark, Gifford tweeted: "Oh dear lord... as someone who loves Greenland, has been there 9 times to every corner and loves the people, this is a complete and total catastrophe."[22]
On January 24, 2020, Gifford endorsed
U.S Chief of Protocol
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/P20220404CS-1222_%2852068497318%29.jpg/220px-P20220404CS-1222_%2852068497318%29.jpg)
In January 2021, Axios reported that Biden would tap Gifford to be Chief of Protocol of the United States.[31] He was officially nominated by Biden on May 28, 2021.[32] The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on his nomination on July 27, 2021 and the committee reported his nomination favorably on August 4, 2021. The full Senate confirmed Gifford on December 18, 2021, via voice vote.[33] He was sworn in on January 3, 2022.
Gifford resigned as Chief of Protocol in July 2023 to assume a position on the Biden 2024 presidential campaign.[34]
Biden 2024 Finance Chair
In July 17, 2023, Biden's campaign announced Gifford's appointment as Finance Chair.[35]
Personal life
Gifford is gay, and commentators from
Gifford is the son of Charles K. Gifford, a banker who was chairman of Bank of America.[41] Gifford is a cousin of former ice hockey player and current broadcaster A. J. Mleczko.[42]
Awards and Honours
Country | Date | Honour | Grade of Honour | Ribbon | Post-nominal letters |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Denmark | January 16, 2017 | Order of the Dannebrog | Grand Cross | ![]() |
SK |
See also
Notes
- ^ By August 2019 Gifford had made the maximum contribution to five candidates in the Democratic presidential primaries,[24] including Pete Buttigieg, whose presence in the race he called "meaningful" for the gay community.[25]
References
- ^ a b DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (March 18, 2018). "The former ambassador to Denmark has some ideas for Massachusetts". Boston.com. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ambassador Rufus Gifford". Embassy of the United States, Copenhagen. US State Department. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "Rufus Gifford". IMDb.
- ^ Teeman, Tim (October 17, 2015). "How Gay U.S. Ambassador Rufus Gifford Got Married, and Became a Social Media Star". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Bendery, Jennifer (October 11, 2011). "Rufus Gifford: The Man Behind Obama's Historic Fundraising Machine". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ "PN561 — John Rufus Gifford — Department of State". U.S. Congress. August 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ^ Sutter, John D. (October 25, 2016). "Denmark's reality TV star is the anti-Trump". CNN. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ a b Hvas Jensen, Mads (January 15, 2015). "Danish Reality Show Makes Great Public Diplomacy". USC Center on Public Diplomacy. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Jeg er Ambassadøren fra Amerika". Facebook (in Danish). U.S. Embassy Denmark. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
- ^ Ladingkær, Lars (August 15, 2015). "Winners of the 2015 TV-Prisen Awards" (in Danish). Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ "TVprisens Vindere 2015". CPH TV Festival (in Danish). Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ Obitsø, Ole (August 17, 2015). "Her er vinderne af tv-priserne 2015" (in Danish). Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ "On Diplomacy, Politics, and Hygge with Ambassador Rufus Gifford". The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. April 26, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Dellisanti, Gabriele (September 19, 2016). "First Improv Comedy Theatre Opens in Copenhagen". The Copenhagen Post. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ "Improv Comedy Copenhagen". Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Ambassador Rufus Gifford Honorary Member of ADBC Board". American-Danish Business Council. July 1, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Schrøder Friis, Victor (January 16, 2017). "Rufus Gifford får Dannebrogsordenen: så bliver det ikke bedre" (in Danish). DR. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ^ Revesz, Rachel (January 20, 2017). "Donald Trump has fired all foreign US ambassadors with nobody to replace them". The Independent. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ Percelay, Bruce A. (July 27, 2018). "A Diplomatic Approach". Nantucket Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ "Mass. primary results for congressional elections - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Lutz, Eric (August 16, 2019). "Greenland to Trump: Thanks, But No Thanks". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Severns, Maggie (January 24, 2020). "Obama fundraising chief backs Biden". Politico.
- ^ Smith, Chris (August 21, 2019). ""He's Flawed": Is Mayor Pete's Beautiful 2020 Dream Already Kaput?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Hamby, Peter (April 24, 2019). ""I Have Maxed Out to Pete": Gay Money, Democratic Secret Weapon, Comes Out for Buttigieg". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Goldmacher, Shane; Glueck, Katie (February 1, 2020). "Joe Biden just revealed about how much he made in January". New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Joe Biden hires Rufus Gifford as new deputy campaign manager". Washington Post. April 29, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Goldmacher, Shane (June 15, 2020). "Biden and D.N.C. Raised Nearly $81 Million in May, a New High". New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Chris (March 18, 2020). ""Writing a Check to Joe Biden Is Not a Major Priority": The Pandemic Is Complicating Biden's Fundraising Just When He Needs It Most". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Kate; Goldmacher, Shane; Kaplan, Thomas (August 9, 2020). "The Wallets of Wall Street Are With Joe Biden, if Not the Hearts". New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Nichols, Hans (January 12, 2021). "Biden plans to pick former ambassador as protocol chief". axios.com. Axios.
- ^ "President Biden Announces Three Key Nominations". The White House. May 28, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "PN616 — Rufus Gifford — Department of State 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. May 28, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "Biden beefs up campaign leadership as he looks to build on fundraising momentum". CNBC. July 17, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ Gross, Samantha J. (July 17, 2023). "Mass. native Rufus Gifford to serve as finance chair for Biden reelection". Boston Globe. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ McDonald, Patrick Range (January 30, 2008). "Obama's Gay Gold Mine". LA Weekly. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ Cogan, Marin (May 11, 2012). "The Most (And Least) Powerful People in Politics This Week". GQ. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ Brydum, Sunnivie (October 10, 2015). "U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Marries Dr. Stephen DeVincent". Advocate. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- ^ Eskesen, Annelise Hartmann (December 2, 2016). "Portrait of Rufus Gifford". dr.dk (in Danish). Danmarks Radio. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ "Ambassador Rufus Gifford and Dr. Stephen DeVincent's Wedding in Copenhagen". Vogue. February 11, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Lisinski, Chris (June 18, 2018). "3rd District candidate Rufus Gifford made splash in Denmark — and Danish documentary followed every step of the way". Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Rufus Gifford - Former US Ambassador to Denmark & Deputy Campaign Manager for President Joe Biden". On the Bus with Cammi and AJ. Apple Podcasts. May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official biography, US Embassy to Denmark, 2013
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Rufus Gifford at IMDb