In President Donald Trump’s world, what does a diplomat look like? Mr Trump is sceptical of alliances and has a zero-sum view of statecraft: what makes any other country stronger makes America weaker.
Against this backdrop, ambassadorial work is reduced from the delicate communication of national interests to the bald assertion of demands. A Trumpian diplomat, in other words, looks something like Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany.
Mr Grenell has called Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s centre-right chancellor, “ a rock star” and declared himself “a big fan”, violating the principle that — except in extreme cases — ambassadors should not pick political sides in their assigned regions. In the same interview, he pledged to “empower other conservatives throughout Europe”, an implicit criticism of the grand coalition running Germany. Mr Grenell then denied doing what he had undoubtedly done, via Twitter: “The idea that I’d endorse candidates/parties is ridiculous.”