President Trump tapped Walt Nauta, a Navy veteran and his co-defendant in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents case, for a seat on the Naval Academy’s Board of Visitors on Friday.
“Our GREAT United States Naval Academy needs a new Board of Visitors. I am pleased to announce that an incredible group of Patriots will serve on the Board— Walt Nauta, Sean Spicer, “Doc Ronnie” Jackson, and Derek Van Orden,” the president wrote in a Friday post on Truth Social.
“Together they will ensure continued Greatness for the Academy,” he added.
Nauta previously served as Trump’s body man and accompanied the leader during numerous visits to his Mar-a-Lago estate where Trump was accused of storing classified documents. Nauta was indicted for allegedly violating the Espionage Act and related offenses.
Smith’s case against the president was thrown out in July 2024 while charges against Nauta and property manager Carlos De Oliveira were dismissed by the 11th Circuit appeals court last month.
Trump promised to ultimately pardon the co-defendants upon re-election if they were convicted of crimes related to documents at the Florida resort according to court filings.
Stanley Woodward, who represented Trump’s former aides in the classified documents case, was appointed to the White House legal team in January.
Nauta’s newest appointment from the president comes almost a month after Trump fired the Board of Visitors for four military service academies, citing “woke ideology.” The entity’s main objective is to oversee student life on the campus of military institutions.
Spicer was re-appointed to his post at the Naval Academy after the Biden administration encouraged him to resign in 2021. He will now serve alongside Nauta, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), former United States Navy officer, and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) who is a former Navy SEAL.
