Donald Trump has officially announced the new U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica this week — and it turns out to be a donut shop owner from Texas.
Trump announced the news in the same way he seems to announce and any everything in his life… With a post on his Truth Social echo chamber.
In the announcement post, he wrote:
I am pleased to announce that Melinda Hildebrand will serve as the next United States Ambassador to Costa Rica.
Melinda is an incredibly successful businesswoman and philanthropist, who serves as the Vice Chair of the Hildebrand Foundation, and Vice President of Hilcorp Ventures Inc. She is also the President and Owner of the popular River Oaks Donuts. She will fight tirelessly to protect America’s Interests abroad, especially in Trade and Immigration.
Congratulations Melinda!”
Melinda happens to be married to billionaire Jeff Hildebrand and the pair donated more than generously to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. In April of 2024, the couple donated a staggering nearly $800,000 to the Trump Campaign and followed that up with another $400,000 donation in October.
The Hildebrands first opened their River Oaks Donuts shop in 2013 and quickly rose to the status of the number one voted donut shop in all of Houston, Texas, in just a few years of operation.
When their shop first opened, Melinda said, “I felt like I wanted to provide the neighborhood with donuts. It’s as simple as that. There was a need so we are providing a service.”
In addition to her Houston donut shop, Melinda also serves as the vice president of her husband’s oil and gas company, Hilcorp Ventures — which serves as one of the United States’ largest privately held oil companies.
While Hilcorp operates in various states across the nation, its primary operation is based in Alaska, where Trump just so happened to sign off on an executive order last month that served to expand drilling and mining, despite serious and extensive environmental concerns.
Featured image via The Resistance Report Gallery