Who is Who - Claudia Tenney: Kurti's thorn in the side, Djokovic's fan, and Trump's support for the Nobel Prize

Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney addressed the "Serbs for Trump" gathering in Milwaukee last week, asserting that America cannot ignore the Balkans and criticizing the Biden administration for not paying enough attention to the region. According to her, Serbs love Trump "because he is strong, decisive, and entertaining." Unlike the current U.S. administration, Tenney not only follows events in the Balkans but often engages in resolving them, earning appreciation from Belgrade and being a thorn in the side for Pristina.

She was among the 16 congress members who wrote to President Joe Biden, urging him to improve U.S.-Serbia relations, highlighting the long diplomatic history between the two countries and their strong defense, security, and economic ties.

Besides the Serbs, it is well-known that the congresswoman herself is a Trump supporter, having even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his pivotal role in achieving peace agreements in the Middle East.

Although she often called for de-escalation of tensions in Kosovo and achieving peace, the Kosovan Prime Minister is unlikely to propose her for the Nobel, considering she has frequently held him responsible for the situation on the ground, and when given the chance, she has told him so to his face.

Regarding her meeting with Kurti at the Munich Conference, she stated that she was "honest" with him and pointed out Pristina’s violations of the Brussels Agreement.

"We must hold him accountable. He is the disruptor in the region, not Serbia, it is Kurti," the congresswoman emphasized.

Law, Politics, Media - and Sports

Claudia Tenney, a Republican representative from New York, is the co-chair of the Serbian Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Born in 1961, she is a lawyer by profession and has worked in law, politics, and media.

At the beginning of her career in the 1980s, she was employed at the General Consulate of Yugoslavia in New York, and as a student, she learned the Serbo-Croatian language during a study visit to Yugoslavia.

This single mother also managed to engage in sports - curling and basketball. Coming from a family with strong Republican roots, she was awarded the "most conservative legislator in New York State" in 2012.

Targeted by Kurti’s Bots

This is not the first time Claudia Tenney has addressed Kurti. In September 2023, she wrote to him "with great concern over the escalation of tensions in northern Kosovo and the lack of progress in implementing the 2013 Brussels Agreement."

"I strongly encourage you and your administration to hold new mayoral elections in majority-Serb communities, completely withdraw special police forces from municipalities with a Serb majority, and finally establish the Community of Serb Municipalities as mandated by the 2013 Brussels Agreement."

When that didn’t work, she submitted a bill to the House of Representatives to support the Brussels Agreement, which includes withholding aid to Kosovo until obligations are met, such as withdrawing forces from the north, ending the persecution of Serbs, and forming the Community of Serb Municipalities.

The Kosovan Prime Minister did not remain silent, and due to her support for Serbs, she became a target of Kurti's online army earlier this year.

According to the then-Serbian Ambassador to the U.S., Marko Djuric, Kurti’s bots ran a social media campaign against the American congresswoman because she dared to speak out against human rights violations and the persecution of Serbs in Kosovo.

"The main reason Congresswoman Tenney is going through this ordeal for days is her courage to speak out against human rights violations and the continuous persecution of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Her calls for peace and normalization of relations in the region clearly bother those with a different agenda. Needless to say, her advocacy and promotion of friendship between Serbia and the United States must be a significant thorn in Kurti’s side," Djuric emphasized.

Tenney also condemned the delivery of Javelin missiles to Kosovo and called on Congress to pass a resolution to stop the sale of weapons.

Novak vs. Nadal

Her support for Serbia extends beyond politics – into sports.

Tenney responded to Rafael Nadal's interview where he questioned Novak Djokovic's status as the greatest tennis player of all time, describing Nadal's envy as disappointing.

"Disappointing envy from Nadal. Djokovic is not only the greatest tennis player - EVER - for so many reasons, he is my pick as the greatest athlete of the modern era," she stated on social media platform "X."

A known opponent of COVID-19 protocols, she advocated against mandatory vaccinations and mask-wearing, considering them personal and free choices for each individual.

In August 2022, she sent a written request to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other U.S. officials, asking that Novak Djokovic be allowed to compete in the U.S. Open under a "national interest exemption."