Trump-picked envoys irk allies abroad
REYKJAVIK, Iceland — In Iceland, a nation so safe that its president runs errands on a bicycle, U.S. Ambassador Jeffery Ross Gunter has requested to hire armed bodyguards.
Gunter has also angered lawmakers by hitching Iceland to the “China virus” label for the coronavirus.
Gunter’s actions, and those of other politically connected U.S. ambassadors, highlight the risks that come with the peculiarly American institution of handing coveted diplomatic postings to campaign donors and presidential friends.
“America is an extreme outlier in sending inexperienced and unqualified ambassadors,” said Barbara Stephenson, a former career foreign service officer, ambassador to Panama and ex-president of the American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents U.S. diplomats.
Presidential political supporters can make fine diplomats, and many have. A personal relationship with the president and understanding of his agenda can be an advantage. And those who are unfit are expected to be weeded out through the Senate confirmation process. But still, some arrive in their embassies and struggle to sidestep controversy.
In Britain, Ambassador Robert “Woody” Johnson faces accusations that he tried to steer golf’s British Open toward President Donald Trump’s resort in Scotland.
In the Netherlands last week, Ambassador Peter Hoekstra, a former congressman, posted a photograph of himself visiting a cemetery for German soldiers killed during the two World Wars, including Nazi troops who occupied the country.
Gunter, the ambassador in Iceland, has run through at least seven deputies since taking over, although the State Department says four of them had been assigned to Reykjavik for only 30-day tours.
But what really raised eyebrows in Iceland was the embassy’s ad looking for armed bodyguards. That was striking in a country that for 13 consecutive years has been deemed the most peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index, published by the Institute for Economics & Peace.
Iceland’s National Commissioner Sigridur Gudjonsdottir told The Associated Press last week that police haven’t decided whether to allow the armed bodyguards.
“We are still weighing the request and assessing the level of potential threat for foreign embassies in Iceland,” she said. The State Department declined to comment.
Days after the bodyguard ad appeared, Gunter caused another stir, and faced condemnation from members of Parliament, for a post on Twitter: “We are United to defeat the Invisible China Virus!” The message included a symbol of the Icelandic flag, which critics believed implicated the country in calling the disease “the China virus.”
Gunter has downplayed the friction. “Our focus at U.S. Embassy Reykjavik remains where it has always been — on strengthening the U.S-Icelandic bilateral relationship which brings so much benefit to both our great nations,” he said. “I am honored to be leading our team during this successful period of U.S.-Icelandic appreciation and respect.”
The foibles of ambassadors lacking diplomatic experience have surfaced in administrations of both political parties and have long confounded efforts at reform. Yet they are attracting greater attention in the Trump era as the percentage of politically connected ambassadors, which normally hovers around 30%, is at 42%, the highest level since the mid1970s.
“All nominees for the position of ambassador should be qualified for the job, and the number of political appointments should not exceed historical norms,” said Eric Rubin, the current president of the Foreign Service Association.
The Republican administration has defended its ambassadorial choices and pointed to a backlog in Senate confirmations as a reason for the high percentage of non-career envoys. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has criticized Democrats for delays in confirming nominees, including career diplomats.
Some political appointees have been accused of more than being undiplomatic. In Britain, Johnson’s actions regarding the golf tournament have raised questions of whether he violated federal ethics rules. There have also been allegations that he made racially offensive and sexist comments to which embassy staffers took offense.
Johnson, owner of the NFL’s New York Jets, has denied any misconduct.