the events of last week--the baffling, inexplicable attacks on our closest allies by the administration one day and the appalling praise for perhaps the most brutal dictator on Earth the next--are not normal. This behavior is not normal. These upside-down values are not normal. These actions mistake disruption for dynamism. They are empty bravado for bold displays of leadership. These actions are not serious or sober. They represent the opposite of statecraft, and the implications of such thoughtlessness for America, her allies, and the world could be lasting and grave. In many ways, the President is a steward of America's foreign policy--shaping it during their time, yes, but also understanding it is based on relationships and norms that have existed since long before they took office and will continue to exist long after they exit the political stage. Over the past several months, I have spoken of our abandonment of the international rules-based order that we took the lead in establishing. I have spoken of the profound implications of this abandonment, what it means to our economy, to national security, and to our relations throughout the world. This administration's dangerous dance with protectionism and its unwarranted besmirching of our allies, such as Canada, are illustrative of precisely the kind of harmful implications I feared would become reality.…
On the recordJune 13, 2018
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