Could Trump Actually Appoint a Porn Star As Saudi Ambassador?

WASHINGTON, D.C.—If there's one thing that should be obvious by now, it's that no one seems to be able to predict with any accuracy just what President-elect Donald Trump will do next—so why shouldn't he (and we) take seriously the petition to appoint former porn star Mia Khalifa as the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia? "Mia Khalifa has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of cultural background for the betterment of our country and international community," reads the Change.org petition created by Dalcolm Rodriguez-Goldstein. "She will be a great leader representing us in the Middle East as well as a symbol of the melting pot that is America." And melt, she has! Though born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Khalifa moved to Montgomery County, Va., in her teens, and at 21, entered the adult entertainment industry and managed to appear in 23 features and internet scenes over the next two years. (The most recent release, Bang Productions' Mia Khalifa 3, was likely filmed sometime last year before her retirement from the industry.) As AVN's Dan Miller noted last July, Khalifa has now become a prominent sports blogger, having been profiled by The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg. "I know, this seems weird," Steinberg stated about Khalifa's social media popularity. "But who else would get hundreds and hundreds of likes for a 'Heartbroken' tweet after the Caps’ Game 6 loss in Pittsburgh? Or, uh, for an image of Alex Ovechkin photoshopped into her bosom?" And it's not as though ex-porn stars can't make it in mainstream. Think Traci Lords, Sasha Grey, Lisa Ann and Aurora Snow, all of whom have become mainstream media personalities. And it's not as though Trump is averse to putting those of immigrant heritage into positions of power: Think South Carolina Gov. Nimrata "Nikki" Haley, daughter of Indian immigrants, who's recently been tapped as the U.S.'s U.N. ambassador. And Khalifa's ambassadorship has been touted in some unusual places—like the Jerusalem Post and the IndiaLiveToday website. "If a brash, billionaire media persona with little political experience can be U.S. president, then why can't a former porn star be the top U.S. diplomat to Saudi Arabia?" the Jerusalem Post asked. "Amid massive protests against the business tycoon across America, many people also noted how Trump took a U-turn on many of the regressive policies he said he would implement if he wins the elections," observed IndiaLiveToday columnist Avinash Nandakumar. "For instance, [the] 'ban all Muslims from the U.S.' page on his website was pulled down post the win. It was also noted that many politicians who were openly against Trump changed their stance, pushing the world to ponder whether Trump is a nice person is real and whether he deserves a chance." Indeed, one of the main mass media controversies at present is whether the mainstream press is going overboard in attempting to "normalize" Trump, his Cabinet/advisor picks and his supporters—and if he chose Khalifa, a reported Trump supporter, for the ambassadorship, it would arguably go quite a ways toward dampening the anti-Trump critics and at the same time angering his Religious Right supporters. And frankly, it would be quite a coup for the adult industry as well! Those who wish to sign the petition to appoint Mia Khalifa as the United States' Saudi ambassador may do so here.