FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s first three months in office have been a wild ride that has captivated the nation.
But overseas, one of America’s diplomats has taken the rare step of breaking cover to bemoan how the current situation in Washington affects America’s dealings abroad.
Dana Shell Smith, ambassador to the Arab Gulf emirate of Qatar, posted this tweet Wednesday.
Smith’s post came hours after Trump’s thunderbolt decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, although it wasn’t clear whether she was commenting on the president’s actions or the state of American politics in general.
Around 24 hours later, she sent another tweet saying her job was currently difficult with ‘partisan acrimony so high.’
A career diplomat, Smith was confirmed by the Senate as ambassador to Qatar in July 2014. Before that she served in several roles in the State Department, including stints in Taiwan, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Gaza.”
-Alexander Smith, “U.S. Diplomat: It’s ‘Increasingly Difficult’ to Explain News From Home,” NBC News, May 11, 2017 5:55am