Ponder this diatribe masquerading as a question to the Australians at a joint US-Australia press briefing earlier in the month:
QUESTION: Gardiner Harris from The New York Times. Secretary Tillerson, the Australians have spent years of diplomatic effort negotiating pacts to address their deep concerns over trade and climate, but the Trump administration tossed those pacts aside. Now, after rejecting their priorities and work, you’re here asking Australians to make specific and concrete sacrifices for your priorities in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and North Korea. What specific promises have you brought on trade and climate to ensure that Australians do not interpret “America first” to mean America the selfish, America the boorish, or America the go-it-alone?
And for the Australians, Mr. Trump yelled at Prime Minister Turnbull in their first conversation. He pushed aside the Montenegrin prime minister at a NATO meeting. He launched a Twitter attack on Germany, one of the U.S.’s closest allies. He just insulted the mayor of London after a terror attack on that city. Do these tactics give you pause in your efforts to improve relations with the U.S., or do the President’s words and behavior not matter in international relations?
SECRETARY TILLERSON: Are you sure you don’t have more? (Laughter.)
QUESTION: No.
Why would the Russians even bother to launch a major effort to divide America from our allies when our press corps is already fully on the job?
Do you really wonder why I mistrust our press corps?
