Uncategorized

Twitter Diplomacy Is Nothing New: The State Department Does It All The Time

No featured image available

President-elect Donald Trump’s use of Twitter to conduct diplomacy is not unprecedented, despite multiple claims to the contrary.

Vanity Fair likened Trump’s Twitter usage to a “Diplomatic Nightmare.” The People’s Republic of China similarly said that Trump’s Twitter diplomacy was “undesirable.” Trump’s use of Twitter could “dismantle diplomacy,” experts at Teen Vogue said. Reuters also ran a commentary titled, “Trump’s brave new world of Twitter diplomacy.”

The U.S. Department of State, its spokesman, and representatives routinely use Twitter to send major messages to friends and foes. State Department spokesman John Kirby used to Twitter to call on Turkish media to stop falsely reporting on the U.S. role in the recent Istanbul terror attack.

Incendiary & false accusations about the U.S. in Turkish media are offensive and could endanger our citizens. Must stop.

— John Kirby (@statedeptspox) January 6, 2017

Kirby also used Twitter Dec. 27 to dispute the Times of Israel’s report that State Department officials colluded with Palestinian officials on a recent U.N. resolution condemning Israel. In stark contrast, Trump is often lampooned for disputing the facts of stories on Twitter.

@TimesofIsrael Claims cited in your piece are wrong. No such meeting took place.

— John Kirby (@statedeptspox) December 27, 2016

Kirby also retweeted a Jordanian politician after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech defending the U.S. decision not to veto the UN resolution.

@JohnKerry I just watched this historic speech. No one can say it was partial or biased. Diplomacy at its best. Well done. #two_states

— Nasser S. Judeh (@NasserJudeh) December 28, 2016

The State Department’s counter-terrorism bureau even uses Twitter to announce major matters such as international terrorism sanctions. The bureau used its Twitter account to announce its sanction of Osama bin-Laden’s son, including the announcement.

.@StateDept designates Hamza bin Laden as Specially Designated Global #Terrorist under E.O. 13224 → https://t.co/Ow6z2k9Tki pic.twitter.com/MJ59ya6UHW

— State Dept CT Bureau (@StateDeptCT) January 5, 2017

The pattern of tweets from the last month alone represent vigorous Twitter usage by the State Department and its spokesman for the release information, calls to action, and disputing of the facts.

Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter

Send tips to [email protected]