Pete Hoekstra: podcast appearances and interviews

Cornelis Piet Hoekstra is an American politician and diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Canada since 2025. He is a member of the Republican Party and previously held the position of ambassador to the Netherlands from 2018 to 2021. Born in the Netherlands in 1953, Hoekstra emigrated to the United States as a child. He was the United States representative for Michigan's 2nd congressional district from 1993 to 2011, having defeated incumbent Guy Vander Jagt in the 1992 Republican primary and Democratic opponent John H. Miltner in the general election. During his tenure in Congress, Hoekstra served as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 2004 to 2007. He also sought statewide office as a candidate in Michigan's 2010 gubernatorial election, finishing second in the Republican primary, and was the Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 2012, losing to incumbent Debbie Stabenow. In 2017, Hoekstra was nominated and confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, a position he held until 2021. In 2024, he was elected chair of the Michigan Republican Party and was listed as a contributor to Project 2025. President-elect Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada, and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in April 2025.