Watch a recording of the event.
If you’ve heard of Gordon Sondland, it’s likely for one of the following two reasons: one, that he served as the US ambassador to the European Union as a political appointee of President Trump; or two, that he appeared as a pivotal witness in Trump’s impeachment trial. Yes, Sondland is the “quid pro quo” guy. But as it turns out, he has plenty to say that’s far more memorable.
People still stop Sondland at the grocery store or in the airport—Republicans and Democrats alike—and offer him high-fives. Business associates, strangers, and even close friends still ask him: “How did you do that?” What they’re really asking is: How did he survive Trump? How did he handle being grilled by the Senate intelligence committee? How did he come out of the situation intact, able to move on?
These are just a few of the questions Sondland wants to answer in The Envoy—a surprising and endlessly amusing account of inflated egos, botched phone calls, bad behavior, and international jujitsu.
Amb. Gordon Sondland is the founder and CEO of Provenance Hotels, which currently owns or operates nineteen full-service boutique “lifestyle” hotels that have received industry awards and critical acclaim from national and international publications. In 2018, President Trump asked Sondland to serve as the 20th United States Ambassador to the European Union. As one of the highest-ranking US officials in Europe, Sondland’s portfolio included trade, energy, national security, defense agriculture, and several other files.