Trump administration instructs embassies to moderate their critique of international elections

WASHINGTON – The State Department is stepping back from making remarks on or critiquing foreign elections unless there is an evident and significant U.S. foreign policy reason to do so.

According to new directives released Thursday for all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, the department instructed these offices to avoid making statements that promote any particular ideology and emphasized alignment with President Donald Trump’s expressed stance on honoring the sovereignty of other countries.

“In keeping with the administration’s focus on national sovereignty, the department will only speak publicly on elections when there is a distinct and pressing U.S. foreign policy interest involved,” states the cable, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press.

The department has for decades issued statements highly critical of or questioning the legitimacy of certain elections, notably in authoritarian countries. That is changing as the Trump administration has emphasized an “America First” foreign policy approach centered on U.S. interests.

“When it is appropriate to comment on a foreign election, our message should be brief, focused on congratulating the winning candidate, and, when appropriate, noting shared foreign policy interests,” the cable said.

The document, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and first reported by the Wall Street Journal, said “messages should avoid opining on the fairness or integrity of an electoral process, its legitimacy or the democratic values of the country in question.”

In the past, U.S. commentary questioning or criticizing elections aboard often has come in support of findings from various election monitoring groups, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe or U.S.-based institutions such as the Carter Center, the National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute.

The department cable said that amplifying the findings of outside groups or denouncing electoral irregularities can only be done with permission from senior officials in Washington.

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Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman in Miami contributed to this report.