Former Obama Official Hits Biden for Appointing ‘Amateur Diplomats’: ‘These Aren’t the Good Ole’ Days’
Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images
Brett Bruen, the former Director of Global Engagement for the Obama Administration, criticized President Joe Biden for appointing “amateur diplomats.”
Bruen, touted as an expert in crisis communications and public diplomacy, took a look at the Biden administration’s approach to international relations Wednesday, and he concluded he is not impressed.
The former Obama-era official shared some biting criticism of Jane Hartley, the former U.S. ambassador to both Monaco and France under the Obama administration.
Biden nominated Hartley as the country’s ambassador to the U.K. on Wednesday, prior to his marathon press conference. CNN reported:
CNN reported in July that Biden would name Jane Hartley, a former US ambassador to France, to be ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. At least two candidates turned it down, including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for unstated reasons, a person familiar with the decision told CNN this summer.
Wednesday’s announcement makes Hartley’s nomination official. Hartley was a major fundraiser for former President Barack Obama, and to a lesser extent for Biden. Her tenure in Paris coincided with a major terrorist attack in the French capital in 2015, during which she coordinated extensively with Washington to manage diplomatic assistance.
Bruen told the Daily Telegraph he is opposed to the appointment.
“We need to understand how much has changed since Trump,” Bruen said. “These aren’t the good ole’ days when Hartley and I served under President Obama.”
Hartley, a former major Democratic Party donor, is unskilled with regard to international affairs, according to Bruen.
Bruen said, “Our position in the world has weakened significantly and we no longer have the luxury of sending amateur diplomats abroad.”
Bruen said the country “needs someone more seasoned” than Hartley, and added, “This is an essential relationship for restoring America’s credibility and influence across the globe.”
“We need someone with exceptional skills and decades of experience,” Bruen concluded. “Because if we get this wrong, if we make one mistake in London, it will reverberate around the world.”
