Sir Kim Darroch’s observation that “We don’t really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal less dysfunctional, less unpredictable, less faction-driven less diplomatically clumsy and inept” is probably a fair representation of the prevailing view among the diplomatic corps in Washington, and indeed of most observers of the White House more broadly. The turnover has been tumultuous, and the quality of incumbents has been poor and sycophantic with any official who opposed the President being fired and insulted in short order. Consequently, many jobs went, and remain, unfilled. Nor indeed do these comments come as any surprise to those who have followed the traumatic comings and goings of the Trump White House over the past two years.įrom the start, the administration was staffed with inexperienced officials – as many veterans of previous governments refused to serve under Trump. This analysis isn’t only based on diplomatic engagement with the executive branch, in this case, the White House, but also entails entities such as the State Department, Pentagon, Trade and Commerce Departments and both houses of Congress.Īs a result, the British Ambassador’s comments on the Trump Administration weren’t just observations of his own interactions with the 45th president but reflected the experience of all of political Washington in dealing with the maverick septuagenarian who now occupies the oval office. It is the embassy’s job to represent the home government abroad but also, crucially, to provide candid analysis of the state of politics and leadership in the receiving state. Indeed the word itself, di-plomacy means a paper folded in two to keep it confidential.
By its very nature, diplomacy involves secret communications, between states, and between envoys and their governments.
With the fallout of the Sir Kim Darroch’s resignation, what does it mean for diplomacy as a whole.
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