Branstad's legacy: Ambassador's tenure in China marked by tariffs and trade wars

What kind of ambassador was Terry Branstad? The most effective political appointee ambassadors for whom I worked knew how to wield influence behind the scenes, both in the country to which they were posted and in Washington, D.C., with the goal of furthering U.S. interests. Other attributes included the ability to be a key voice in policy formulation and the willingness to go to bat for their staff — the foreign service family.

Based on press reports, Branstad took seriously the job of supporting his staff during COVID, overseeing the drawdown of staff and finding creative ways to boost staff morale. Points earned.

Being a U.S. Ambassador in the Trump era, however, is much more complicated when it comes to influencing, or even implementing, U.S. policy. Some Ambassadors have chosen to please President Donald Trump, at times to the detriment of U.S. interests in the countries where they are posted. Others have failed at that high-wire act, ultimately causing the president more complications. Branstad opted to implement Trump’s erratic China policy while attracting minimal attention.

As the good soldier, for example, Ambassador Branstad carried out President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. For the former governor of Iowa who led trade delegations and undoubtedly dreamed of capitalizing on that by expanding the soybean and pork markets for his home state, it had to have been a bitter pill. Yet to influence these policies, he would have needed a reliable partner in the White House. No matter how astute the diplomat, lack of clarity, together with revolving staff and non-traditional policymaking, made that next to impossible.

Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/subject/opinion/guest-columnist/branstads-legacy-ambassadors-tenure-in-china-marked-by-tariffs-and-trade-wars-20200920