From car fortunes to F-35s. John Arrigo, Trump’s ‘great friend’ in Lisbon

• *Retrato* is an ECO feature in which, throughout the month of August, the daily profile of a personality who has distinguished themselves over the past year in Portugal is published.

Do you remember the sequence in the original *Rocky*, in which Sylvester Stallone runs and trains in Philadelphia, with Bill Conti’s rousing soundtrack accompanying the boxer Balboa to the victorious raising of his arms at the top of a monumental staircase? Well, that iconic montage from the 1976 film has just been, half a century later, the subject of a kind of remake in Lisbon.

The mobile phone alarm goes off at 4:15 a.m. and, after washing his face and hearing an encouraging “you got this” from his wife Megan, John Arrigo sets off for his workout. In a detailed re-enactment, cameras capture the American ambassador running through the streets near the Tagus, then in the boxing gym wrapping his hands before giving and receiving punches, skipping rope, doing push-ups and sit-ups, before returning to the run that culminates in a triumphant ascent – in this case up the staircase leading to the embassy chancellery (with dozens of staff joining in at the final part).

The video – which runs to about three minutes and was shared on the social media channels of the US embassy in Lisbon at the start of July to mark the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence – aptly shows the irreverent nature and showmanship of a man who has spent his career managing a huge car sales network and who, in September last year, began, at the age of 61, his diplomatic activity. In the short text accompanying the reel on social media, Arrigo highlights the American spirit of resilience, determination, optimism and the conviction that anything is possible with hard work and perseverance.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaU1zNJuTQX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

All these characteristics contribute to success, of course, but having friends in the right places also helps – and Arrigo has one who is simply the most powerful man in the world, Donald Trump. The ambassador tells ECO the origins of a connection that now spans 32 years. “I first met him when he was looking for a car for his family,” he recalls, in a written response. “I received a call from my car dealership in Florida asking me to go over and help a New Yorker, and when I arrived, there was a large crowd around a customer.”

“As I approached, I realised it was Donald Trump and that he needed to buy a van for his family and for his newborn daughter – Tiffany,” he recounts. “He started talking to me, we got on well, and we’ve been friends ever since, and we’ve travelled all over the world together.”

On a personal level, President Trump has been a great friend, Arrigo stresses. “When my mother fell very ill a few years ago, he didn’t hesitate to make his private jet available to take her to hospital as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, she passed away before I could get her onto that plane, but that story demonstrates his loyalty and that is the kind of person he is.”

Portugal has a great friend of mine as ambassador, John Arrigo. He’s an exceptional person who made a lot of money in the car business and decided to become an ambassador. I gave him options and he chose Portugal – perhaps it’s because of your magnificent golf courses.

The sentiments are mutual and public. Also around the time of the US 250th anniversary celebrations, Donald Trump shared a video on social media recorded in the Oval Office in which he said that Portugal “has a great friend of mine” as ambassador. “He’s an exceptional person who made a lot of money in the car business and decided to become an ambassador,” the Republican said. “I gave him options and he chose Portugal – perhaps it’s because of your magnificent golf courses.”

Staying on the subject of golf, Trump boasted about making Arrigo struggle on the course. “But he’s very good, he’s very hard to beat, and hard to beat in many other ways,” he added, underlining that his friend has done an “excellent job as ambassador”.

To ECO, Arrigo says he had already retired from the car industry five years ago and was really getting used to retirement. “I like to joke that my biggest concern every morning was what the soup of the day would be at my club,” he quips. He recalls that after Trump’s second election, the two of them were on the golf course and the president asked if he would be interested in serving as an ambassador. Arrigo went home, spoke to Megan, and they agreed it was an “incredible” opportunity to serve the country and the Administration.

“I had the honour of accepting, and then the president asked me where I wanted to go, and I replied: Portugal, it’s the only place I want to go,” he confesses. “He asked me what my second option was and I replied: Portugal.”

Arrigo says he had visited the Azores years before and fallen in love with Portugal – with the people, the food, the landscapes and, of course, the golf courses. “When my appointment as ambassador to Portugal was officially announced on 24 December 2024, it was an unforgettable moment for me and my family,” he says. “What a Christmas present!”

A ‘people person’

Nothing in John Arrigo’s career suggested he would one day receive such a gift in his stocking – a diplomatic post. He himself acknowledges this when asked if he had ever imagined such a possibility. “Never. If you had asked me twenty years ago whether I would become a diplomat, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he admits.

Arrigo’s LinkedIn page does little to explain the “leap”. Apart from a minimalist reference to his studies at Florida Atlantic University between 1982 and 1985, the social network lists two roles: his current posting in Lisbon and 35 years and 10 months as vice-president of Arrigo Automotive Group Inc, between 1984 and 2020.

John Arrigo was still at university when he entered the family business, but the key milestone came in 1989, when his father, Joseph, established the Arrigo Automotive Group in West Palm Beach, starting with a Dodge dealership. The business expanded rapidly in the 1990s with investment in land, showrooms and car stock, with the group reaching the position of the largest Chrysler and Dodge vehicle retailer in the United States the following decade.

The patriarch “Joe” would later pass away in 2022, leaving John, in addition to the business legacy, also a taste for golf and gastronomy. In the meantime, the family had already sold the business – by then with five sites – to Morgan Automotive Group in 2020, while retaining the Arrigo brand.

For much of his career, John shared executive duties with his older brother, Jim. The two also shared the screen in advertisements on local television and YouTube, in which Jim played the more serious role, while John was the more animated one – often dancing, at other times dressed for aerobics, and on one occasion even disguised as Father Christmas.

The fact that I come from the private sector gives me a different perspective. Sometimes I ask: ‘Why do we do it this way? Is there a better way?’ I think that’s healthy.

If the appointment of a businessperson to the post of ambassador would be a rare option in European countries such as Portugal, in the United States it is common practice, with presidents often choosing people from outside the diplomatic career – including political supporters, academics, jurists or friends.

Arrigo’s two immediate predecessors in Lisbon, for example, also came from other backgrounds: Randi Sherman, appointed by Joe Biden, made her career in the arts and philanthropy, while George Glass, the first envoy sent by Trump to reside at number 18 Rua do Sacramento à Lapa, made his fortune in investment banking and property.

The idea is to transfer experience. According to the biographical note on the embassy website, Arrigo’s more than three decades as owner and manager of Arrigo Automotive Group “endowed him with deep experience in team management, negotiating complex issues and building relationships – skills he now applies in his diplomatic role”.

Arrigo stresses to ECO the different perspective he brings to the post. “I’m a people person; building relationships was an important part of my career in the car industry, and those same skills have been very useful to me as ambassador,” he writes. The former businessman sees himself as someone who likes to solve problems. “My team will tell you that whenever someone presents me with a problem, my first question is usually: ‘How can we help? Who do we need to talk to?’”

“The fact that I come from the private sector gives me a different perspective,” the former businessman sums up. “Sometimes I ask: ‘Why do we do it this way? Is there a better way?’ I think that’s healthy.”

For Arrigo, the role goes far beyond formal meetings: “It’s about getting to know our counterparts, whether they are Portuguese government officials, American companies investing here or Portuguese companies looking to expand into the United States.”

The F-35 and the deficit

Among Arrigo’s major objectives, one is clearly at the top of the list. “It’s no secret that I would like to see Portugal modernise its fighter fleet and acquire the F-35,” he acknowledges. “Portugal plays a key role in regional security and it is time to modernise and strengthen the fleet with the only fifth-generation fighter available.”

Arrigo has been one of the spokespeople for incumbent Lockheed Martin’s campaign in the race against Sweden’s Saab Gripen and the Eurofighter consortium’s Typhoon to replace the F-16s that are reaching the end of their service life. “I believe that acquiring the F-35 brings real benefits for the Portuguese people,” the ambassador explains to ECO. “It will create skilled, well-paid jobs and, at the same time, grow Portugal’s defence industrial base, and this goes beyond Portugal – it will strengthen NATO’s collective air power.”

But it is not only in the air that the ambassador sees opportunities in the transatlantic relationship. “I would also like to reduce our trade deficit,” he points out, stressing that this is already shrinking in 2026 and that it is important to try to balance these trade flows.

“I want to see more Portuguese investment heading to the United States; after all, that’s where Portuguese startups and companies grow,” Arrigo stresses. For the reverse traffic, however, he asks Portugal to change some contextual factors. “For American companies looking to export and invest here, I would love to see bureaucracy reduced, laws such as investment control legislation that protect Portugal’s critical infrastructure and technology sectors, and to ensure that your systems use trusted suppliers.”

The diplomat also hopes Portugal will protect its “fantastic” research and innovation. “Every day I see new R&D initiatives linking Portuguese and American researchers, often in areas with dual-use potential, and it’s simply a matter of common sense to ensure we have the necessary processes in place to protect our cutting-edge knowledge.”

Things don’t always move as quickly as I’d like, whether it’s opening a bank account, renting a flat or obtaining licences to expand a business. If Portugal can get things moving at an appropriate pace, the sky is the limit for this incredible country.

The pursuit of these objectives keeps Arrigo busy, and there is always another meeting or event on the agenda. “I haven’t been playing as much golf as I expected,” he admits, but the lament about his favourite hobby is short. “But it doesn’t matter – I didn’t come to Portugal to play golf; I came here to work, and it has been incredibly rewarding.”

Even so, he says that, with his wife, he has greatly enjoyed getting to know the country. They have already visited the Azores twice, where the oldest continuously operating US consulate in the world is located. “I love Porto and I’ve spent quite a lot of time in the Algarve and in Comporta this summer,” he reveals, adding that there is still much he wants to see, especially some of Portugal’s smaller towns and regions.

Arrigo acknowledges that, like anyone living in a new country, he has also had to adapt to some bureaucracy. “Things don’t always move as quickly as I’d like, whether it’s opening a bank account, renting a flat or obtaining licences to expand a business,” he criticises. “If Portugal can get things moving at an appropriate pace, the sky is the limit for this incredible country.” Showing his diplomatic skills, he stresses that every place has its own way of doing things, and that is part of the experience.

A ‘foodie’ in Lisbon

Returning to the complimentary tone, he says the Portuguese people were one of the reasons he wanted to come to the country. “They are incredibly welcoming, and that reminds me a lot of my own origins, centred on family.”

Arrigo takes a detour to praise Portugal’s “incredible” history, from the Age of Discovery to the technology and startup sectors growing today, which he says reveal a spirit of curiosity and innovation, but returns to the question of the people. “I’ve noticed something else: sometimes there can be an initial caution or hesitation about taking risks, but once that barrier is overcome, people here truly stand out,” he shares.

In addition to the focus on family, he says he also values the importance of food in Portuguese culture. “As it happens, those are two of my favourite things,” comments the former businessman, who has already shared videos of visits to markets and who regularly cooks for his closest team members after receptions at the embassy. He is a “foodie”, says one member of that team.

“I’ve had a lot of fun discovering Portuguese cuisine and even trying to cook some local dishes,” he says, before explaining the logic behind a migratory trend in recent years. “It’s easy to see why more and more Americans are choosing to visit or even stay here.”