There is a lot that President Trump seems to misunderstand about foreign policy — added to that list, according to a new report, should be confusion over time zones. Put simply, the president seems to not quite get, or perhaps care, that when it’s daytime in the United States, it’s the middle of the night on the other side of the world.
On several occasions during the first year of his presidency, for example, Trump reportedly wanted to get on the phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at midday Washington time, or the middle of the night in Japan. When it’s noon in D.C., it’s 1 a.m. in Tokyo.
As anyone who has had an unthinking friend call them in the middle of the night knows, poorly timed calls tend to breed ill will. On the global stage, unthinking behavior can be far worse and be seen as a diplomatic slight with implications for bilateral relations.
Although a presidential mix-up on time zones might seem laughable, it signals just how unprepared Trump is to deal with pressing foreign policy issues.
As the United States seeks to negotiate with North Korea and Iran on nuclear arms, navigate an escalating trade war, and head off the ambitions of both Moscow and Beijing, among other foreign policy goals, the president’s lack of understanding of time zones and policy implications is troubling.
Press secretary Sarah Sanders told Politico, “The President has developed strong relationships and good rapports that are not only friendly, but also allow for candid conversations with many of America’s closest allies.”
But given what was shared with Politico, Trump’s advisers are clearly far less confident.
On the bright side, it does seem that the work of those advisers has led to some successful damage control, and we should wish them the best of luck in continuing those efforts.
