Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau responded on Saturday after former Obama ambassador Ivo Daalder criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s international travel.
Landau shared Daalder’s remarks on X, accusing him of embodying a foreign policy mindset that overvalues approval from European nations while undervaluing diplomacy in the Western Hemisphere.
Daalder, who was the U.S. ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013 during the Obama administration, raised concerns about the locations Rubio visits and whether he tackles significant international matters.
“Secretaries of State travel globally to our closest allies and to confront crucial issues,” Daalder stated. “However, Marco Rubio tends to do neither. His independent trips resemble those of assistant secretaries rather than the chief diplomat.”
Landau, as the second-highest official at the State Department, countered this criticism, stating that it exemplified the detrimental thinking he feels has harmed U.S. foreign relations.
“THIS post perfectly captures the decadence and degeneration of the current U.S. foreign policy establishment,” Landau remarked.
He criticized Daalder for implying that visits to European allies are the only appropriate travels for a Secretary of State, while implying that engagement with Latin American nations is beneath them.
“According to this perspective, a U.S. Secretary of State should only visit NATO capitals because a successful U.S. foreign policy is one that prompts diplomatic counterparts in cities like Paris, Berlin, and Brussels to toast to ‘shared values,’ while simultaneously compromising their economies and apologizing for Western civilization,” Landau continued.
He cited three South American capitals to challenge the notion that these destinations are unworthy of the secretary’s attention.
“Heaven forbid a U.S. Secretary of State make an appearance in Bogotá, Quito, or Lima, since that’s the realm of mere ‘Assistant Secretaries,’” he added.
Bogotá is Colombia’s capital, Quito is Ecuador’s, and Lima is Peru’s. Landau mentioned these cities to advocate for higher-level American involvement in the region, although he did not offer specifics regarding Rubio’s travel itinerary.
Daalder’s remarks did not explicitly reference NATO or the South American cities, but he criticized Rubio for not visiting key U.S. allies or addressing pressing issues. Landau responded by questioning the assumptions behind Daalder’s critique.
The deputy secretary also accused the foreign policy establishment of producing failures on both sides of the Atlantic.
“This complacent attitude has led to predictably disastrous outcomes in the Western Hemisphere and also in Europe, where a mix of moral arrogance and strategic confusion has proven detrimental,” Landau wrote.
He didn’t mention specific policies or events in that context, focusing instead on broad criticisms of the establishment’s priorities and track record.
Previously, Landau was the U.S. ambassador to Mexico during Donald Trump’s first term, and he assumed the role of deputy secretary of state in March 2025.
He concluded by accusing establishment figures of prioritizing their academic pursuits and recognition over critical issues, while looking down on Trump and Rubio.
“But of course: keep hosting your academic seminars, writing your unreadable articles, awarding each other meaningless accolades, and sneering at Donald Trump and Marco Rubio,” Landau said.
