Trump taps donor and marijuana entrepreneur to Iraq special envoy: 'A key player'

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Mark Savaya, a dispensary owner from Michigan who reportedly contributed to Trump’s 2020 campaign, would be the White House’s next special envoy to Iraq.

“Mark’s deep understanding of the Iraq-U.S. relationship, and his connections in the region, will help advance the interests of the American people,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “Mark was a key player in my campaign in Michigan, where he, and others, helped secure a record vote with Muslim Americans. Congratulations, Mark!”

Savaya is the founder of Leaf & Bud, a cannabis company that sells both medical and recreational marijuana. According to Bridge Detroit reporter Malachi Barrett, however, Savaya is also a “massive Trump guy,” and donated tens of thousands of dollars to Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.

“Mark Savaya, who hosted a Trump-themed Red Party notably attended by Detroit Council President Mary Sheffield, is a massive Trump guy,” Barrett wrote in a social media post on X in December of last year.

“He met Trump at multiple rallies, visited Mar-A-Lago, donated around $25K to [his] 2020 campaign, posed in photos with several cabinet picks.”

Photos shared by Barrett – collected from his Instagram profile – show Savaya posing with Tesla founder and former “special government employee” for Trump Elon Musk, as well as photos with Eric Trump, Vice President JD Vance, as well as Trump himself.