Is it ever appropriate for a diplomat to express disagreement with s or her country’s leader?
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It is never appropriate for a US diplomat to express disagreement with his/her country’s leader in public (especially while outside the home country, every venue is public) or in any official conversation. The most common and useful way to avoid being cornered by anyone who might be fishing for such criticism is to take the question out of the personal realm by saying something like, “The President said that…” “The Department appears to consider that …” “The INA says that…” and then fill in the blank. What is said in closed, bug-free rooms with like-minded, same-agency colleagues might be another matter entirely.
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