President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to lead the nation in the same way he ran his campaign, with impulsive, shoot-from-the-mouth ignorance that scorns diplomatic protocols set up to protect national security and reassure allies. Diplomats are, unsurprisingly, aghast.
Take the telephone, Trump’s fifth limb. With it he’s been chatting up a number of world leaders, dialing from his throne in Trump Tower without first consulting with the U.S. State Department about what to say or stress. For example, don’t praise the president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who won his last election with some of the voter fraud tactics that Trump falsely claims marred his victory. Toddler translation: Don’t touch. Hot.
(Nazarbayev) most recently won office in April 2015, with 91 percent of the vote in an election that international observers told The New York Times was marred by voter intimidation, ballot stuffing and restrictions on the freedoms of press and assembly.
And yet, Trump purportedly had good things to say about the leader.
President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday the nation of Kazakhstan has accomplished a “miracle” under the leadership of strongman president Nursultan Nazarbayev, according to the Kazakh presidential press office.
And poor Theresa May, the new prime minister of Great Britain, she got a breezy invite to visit, as if she were a mother-in-law you didn’t rea-a-aly want to see.
Hey, it’s not like Britain is the No. 1 ally of the United States.
“If you travel to the U.S., you should let me know,” an offhand invitation that came only after (Trump) spoke to nine other leaders. He later compounded it by saying on Twitter that Britain should name the anti-immigrant leader Nigel Farage its ambassador to Washington, a startling break with diplomatic protocol.
Well, at least he didn’t tweet her.
President Barack Obama’s White House, seeing the debacle for what it was, again extended the offer to help Trump with introductions.
On Thursday, the White House weighed in with an offer of professional help. The press secretary, Josh Earnest, urged the president-elect to make use of the State Department’s policy makers and diplomats in planning and conducting his encounters with foreign leaders.
“President Obama benefited enormously from the advice and expertise that’s been shared by those who serve at the State Department,” Mr. Earnest said. “I’m confident that as President-elect Trump takes office, those same State Department employees will stand ready to offer him advice as he conducts the business of the United States overseas.”
“Hopefully he’ll take it,” he added.
Indeed.