James W. Holtsnider

James William Holtsnider is an American politician, diplomat and former officer, who has served as United States ambassador to Jordan since 2025. Holtsnider served as senior bureau official for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs in 2025, and was previously chargé d'affaires to Samoa from 2024 to 2025.

In addition, he previously served as an operations officer in the Department's Operations Center, and as the deputy chief of mission of the United States Embassy in Kuwait City. He served as an operations officer in the Department's operations center. He also served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Kuwait City. He presented his credentials to King Abdullah II of Jordan on December 7, 2025. In January 2026, he faced backlash after two prominent Jordanian families rejected his condolence visit requests. This reaction was attributed by Jordanian journalist Lamis Andoni to Jordanians’ outrage over U.S. support for Israel in the Gaza war.