Conclusion

Summary

The conclusion briefly analyzes the enduring relevance of rogue diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy. I cite economic adviser Gary Cohn's filching of an executive order off of President Donald Trump's Oval Office desk as representative of how American diplomats remain willing to step out of line if their judgment conflicts with the boss's. Cohn did not want Trump to dissolve the U.S.-South Korean Free Trade Agreement, so he pocketed the document before the president could sign it, an act no non-American government official would have even considered. I also highlight Trump's choice of David Friedman to run Embassy Tel Aviv, noting that Friedman, like so many American diplomats, has no foreign-policy experience and secured this plum assignment because of his friendship with the president and his lavish campaign contributions. Although such an approach to statecraft might seem a recipe for disaster, it has, as my book demonstrates, served America surprisingly well over nearly 250 years of national existence. If the past is any guide, we have cause for optimism as a new generation of rogue diplomats confronts the myriad international challenges of the twenty-first century.