The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2016
Arshad Mohammed, Reuters: 'Is a Tweet policy?' State Department officials ponder
When is a tweet just a tweet?
A debate is percolating in the U.S. State Department, where diplomats measure their words with demitasse spoons, on how to handle Donald Trump's Twitter commentary if he continues to tweet after he becomes U.S. president on Jan. 20.
By tradition, anything the president says is regarded as U.S. policy and can be repeated to foreign officials without fear of contradiction, at least from the White House.
But Trump has questioned bedrock planks of U.S. policy, such as whether Taiwan is part of "one China" or whether Washington would defend NATO allies, causing consternation at home and abroad.
"I have never hesitated to take anything that POTUS said in speeches, press conferences, and other remarks as anything but policy," a midlevel diplomat who has served on four continents wrote Dec. 7 on an internal State Department discussion board, in reference to the President of the United States (POTUS).
"But what about tweets?" he asked.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: When a head of state makes an announcement .... it is usually policy. In the case of President-Elect Trump .... I would view it as policy (or soon to be policy).
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