Donald Trump officially nominates Woody Johnson, the New York Jets owner, as UK ambassador

Donald Trump has formally nominated Woody Johnson, the billionaire owner of the New York Jets American football team, as US ambassador to Britain, the White House said on Thursday.

The nomination of Mr Johnson, who will now require Senate confirmation to take up the diplomatic post, was widely expected after Mr Trump referred to the 70-year-old as "ambassador" during remarks at a luncheon in January. 

In the announcement, the White House cited Mr Johnson’s asset management firm The Johnson Company and his 16 years of being the chairman and CEO of the Jets.

Mr Trump said in January that Mr Johnson was "going to Saint James", a reference to the official title of Ambassador of the United States to the Court of St James's.

Mr Johnson was a top donor to Mr Trump during the presidential campaign, and was named in November as finance chair of his inaugural committee.

A long-time Republican donor, Mr Johnson helped raise money for George W Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney when they were the party's nominees. He served as finance chairman for Jeb Bush earlier in the 2016 campaign.

Mr Johnson's great grandfather founded Johnson & Johnson, the medical supplies manufacturer. 

Matthew Barzun was the previous US ambassador to the UK. He was appointed in 2013 by Barack Obama and stepped down in January this year, before Mr Trump's inauguration.

Mr Trump also announced on Thursday his choice of Jamie McCourt, a lawyer and former co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, to be the US ambassador to Belgium.