South Africa's Daily Maverick published on 8 February 2026 an article titled "New Assistant Secretary of State for Africa: Manager of Trump Policies for the Continent He Hates?" by J. Brooks Spector.
Frank W. Garcia is the Trump administration nominee to be the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. A Congressional staffer focusing on intelligence issues, he has limited exposure to Africa. He is now a senior adviser to the House of Representatives Select Committee on Intelligence. He replaces Nick Checker, a former CIA analyst who had the title of senior bureau officer for African affairs but not assistant secretary.
