Kim Darroch was just doing his job. That's the interpretation of several other diplomats and ambassadors, at least.
Darroch, who announced his resignation as the the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States on Wednesday, has been mired in controversy ever since the memos he sent back to London describing President Trump as "insecure" and "incompetent" were leaked. Trump blew a fuse over the supposedly-private insults, dismissing Darroch as a "very stupid guy."
But those who share or used to share Darroch's profession have mostly backed him up, calling him "blameless" in the whole saga. "He doesn't do the prime minister or the foreign minister any favors if he doesn't give his honest take or his honest advice," Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former U.S. diplomat, told The Guardian. "It's not his fault the cable leaked."
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Multiple ambassadors told The New York Times that Darroch's cables were far from out of the ordinary. Gérard Araud, who recently retired as the French ambassador, said he sent similar messages back to Paris. He said he was just extra careful, sending them in an even more confidential manner than Darroch because he "knew nothing would remain secret." One anonymous ambassador who is still serving told the Times that "it could have been any of us."
Now, though, after the Darroch fiasco it might be time for ambassador's to switch things up, at least while Trump remains in the Oval Office, The Guardian reports. The idea that they can communicate with their foreign ministries honestly about their jobs might be a thing of the past. "I think it's going to be a very big change in the way diplomacy is conducted," said Sally Quinn, a former journalist and socialite who attended Darroch's parties in Washington. Read more at The Guardian and The New York Times. Tim O'Donnell
Editor's note: A previous version of this story misspelled Richard Haass's name; the article has been updated to reflect his comments to The Guardian. We regret the error.
