A key principle of diplomacy is to avoid antagonizing opponents unnecessarily. Yet, as the United States navigates a trade war with China and mounting tensions abroad, President Donald Trump’s envoys are increasingly sparking friction with allies, leaving the White House largely on the sidelines.
In the span of a week, no fewer than three US legislators were busy repairing diplomatic fences. The foreign minister in Denmark summoned the nation’s top diplomat in a bid to respond to reports in the media that individuals associated with Trump had been running backroom influence operations in Greenland, a province in Denmark.
At the same time in Paris, France’s government recalled the US ambassador, Trump’s son-in-law Charles Kushner, because of a letter he had written criticising France for a lack of effort against antisemitism. Kushner however did not attend the meeting, and French officials ended up concluding the discussions with his deputy.
In another scandal, the US envoy in Turkiye, Trump loyalist Tom Barrack, publicly expressed remorse for labelling journalists “animalistic” during a Lebanese press conference.
Officially, the State Department attempted to play down the furor, declaring the debate in Denmark as “productive” and endorsing Kushner’s controversial letter. In the background, however, Washington insiders did acknowledge the casual attitude of the administration towards the controversies and viewed them as small hiccups.
However, diplomatic circles the world over criticized the crude comments, individually trivial but collectively representing Trump’s broader trend: straight talk, a defiant “America First” foreign policy approach, and public flouting of conventional press manners. The pattern is typical of the custom of Trump in upending diplomatic protocol by appealing to his foreign political base but alienating long-standing allies. White House press official Anna Kelly denied that the segments have harmed the world reputation of Trump or shaken his confidence in his ambassadors.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News