More than 100 US diplomats have signed a cable to protest President Donald Trump’s comments that led to the looting of the Capitol on Wednesday, according to three sources familiar with the cable.
This rare use of the Dissenting Channel, a formal procedure for diplomats to directly protest US policy to the State Department leadership, is because America’s image is being hit by the violent scenes in Washington, where Trump is encouraged supporters to interrupt the symbolic vote in Congress. that confirmed the victory of his opponent Joe Biden.
But they are not the only ones speaking out. Gabriel Noronha, a Trump appointee, tweeted that Trump “must go” to “stir up an insurgent gang that attacked the Capitol and” take every opportunity to hinder the peaceful transfer of power. “
Hours after those tweets, the White House fired Noronha, who was a special adviser to the special envoy to Iran and a department spokesman.
He may not be the only one leaving. Several senior Trump officials at the agency shared his feelings and supported his tweets, another source told ABC News.
But there are less than two weeks in the Trump administration, and once Biden is inaugurated on January 20, they will be forced to leave anyway.
For career diplomats in the Foreign Service, however, the damage to US credibility will be a long-lasting challenge, especially as autocratic regimes have already used it to undermine US human rights messages.
The cable directly confronts Trump for his remarks to the White House on Wednesday, as he continues to spread his false claims of widespread electoral fraud and urging his Vice President Mike Pence not to certify election votes in Congress. A short time later, thousands of those in attendance descended on Capitol Hill and broke into the building, threatening lawmakers and journalists, and demolishing the sacred halls.
After months of promoting baseless claims of voter fraud, which were rejected by the judiciary in dozens of cases, President Trump encouraged supporters, some armed, to march to the Capitol as Congress certified the results of free and fair presidential elections . said the cable, according to a source.
“His instigation led to a violent riot in the Capitol, five deaths, unprecedented injuries, destruction and vandalism of government property, and priceless damage to our democratic system and image abroad,” it continued.
In an internal report Wednesday, the State Department urged all embassies and consulates around the world to stop public posts or statements, according to two sources – a move that enraged many diplomats who felt paralyzed by the silence. which did not allow them to push back. on opponents enjoying the chaos.
“Out of respect for the unacceptable events that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6, the Department took the prudent measure of temporarily suspending planned social media activity,” a State Department spokesman confirmed to ABC News Friday.
That “pause” lasted for hours as the violent scenes unfolded, until Pompeo weighed in on Wednesday night with a string of tweets.
“Lawlessness and riots – here or around the world – is always unacceptable,” he said, calling on the rioters to face justice ‘quickly’. But he made no mention of his boss, who fiercely protective of their relationship and hated showing any sign of daylight between them.
The diplomats who signed the dissident cable said Pompeo’s response was not enough.
“The State Department must explicitly denounce President Trump’s role in this violent attack on the US administration. Just as we routinely denounce foreign leaders who use violence and intimidation to interfere with peaceful democratic processes and to override the will of their constituents, says the ministry’s public statement.This episode should also include President Trump by name.It is critical that we communicate to the world that in our system no one – even the president not – above the law or immune to public criticism, “the cable said.
The State Department declined to comment on the cable, which was first reported by Foreign Policy magazine.
Pompeo met with Anthony Blinken on Friday, Biden’s choice to succeed him as secretary. The first meeting between a Trump chief of staff and one of Biden’s picks was originally scheduled in December until Pompeo went into quarantine after being exposed to a person who tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Today I met with President-Elect @ JoeBiden’s Secretary-Designate @ABlinken to facilitate an orderly transition and to ensure that US interests are protected abroad,” Pompeo tweeted – the first time he met Biden. as “President-elect”. in the two months since his victory was declared and with less than 12 days to go in that transition.
Pompeo was criticized in November for saying the administration would ensure a “smooth transition to the second Trump administration” – a prepared line that Trump later praised, but supporters said was a joke. He has also bolstered Trump’s false claims about widespread electoral fraud, without ever outright endorsing them.
The anomalous cable shipped Friday may have yielded more signatures before it shipped, but not every diplomat is on board, especially after the cable leaked to the media. All State Department cables are intended to be private, and some feared that the leakage would make the message more political and harm the impartial nature of the Foreign Service.
At the same time, career diplomats began to speak out publicly on Friday to defend the US and label Wednesday’s violence as a dark day, but an example of how America must constantly strive for a strong democracy.
“America’s democracy is not perfect, and the United States is not flawless,” said US Ambassador to Uganda Natalie Brown, a foreign service officer and black woman.
“But when we speak out against human rights violations, we don’t do it because such violations don’t occur in America. When we speak out for freedom of the press, we don’t because American journalists are completely free from harassment. Independence, we don’t. because judges in America are free from external influences, “she said in a statement.” On the contrary, we do so because we are aware of the work that remains to be done in the American experiment with democracy and because our history has taught us that democracy must be defended if it is to survive. “