Rubio's State Department to scale back foreign election criticism

The State Department will scale back its assessments of elections in foreign countries, only chiming in publicly when there is a “clear and compelling” foreign policy interest, according to a new directive sent to U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.

The Thursday directive indicates that when weighing in on an election, U.S. officials’ messages should be short, congratulatory toward the winner and, when “appropriate,” mention shared foreign policy interests. 

“Consistent with the administration’s emphasis on national sovereignty, the Department will comment publicly on elections only when there is a clear and compelling U.S. foreign policy interest to do so,” a State Department spokesperson told The Hill in an emailed statement. 

“President Trump clearly articulated his vision of an ‘America First’ foreign policy in his Riyadh speech on May 13. The President praised the progress that comes from sovereign countries, pursuing [their] own unique visions, and charting [their] own unique destinies in [their] own way,” the spokesperson added, referring to the president’s speech during his first stop on his Middle East swing. 

The State Department has remarked on elections worldwide for decades, at times admonishing elections held in authoritarian regimes that the U.S. has deemed unfair or rigged.

“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,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the internal cable, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. 

The State Department has also celebrated foreign elections deemed free and fair, as it did in late May when its Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs congratulated Suriname in late May for holding “free and fair elections.” 

"The United States supported the electoral process by sending trained monitors from @USEmbassyParbo. We look forward to strengthening our partnership and advancing shared democratic values,” the bureau said in a post on social platform X. 

Last week, Rubio congratulated Jennifer Geerlings-Simons on her election as president of Suriname. 

“Suriname and the United States have a strong and growing partnership built on shared democratic values and a mutual dedication to regional stability and prosperity,” Rubio said in a statement after the call.

The last time the State Department was sharply critical of a foreign election was three days before Trump was sworn into the Oval Office, when the U.S. Embassy in Belarus hammered the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko ahead of elections Jan. 26.

“The Lukashenka regime’s systematic efforts to silence any dissent have determined the outcome of the election long before any ballots are cast, depriving the Belarusian people of the opportunity to choose their own leaders and determine their own future,” the embassy said about the election, which was also denounced by European countries. 

Lukashenko won with more than 86 percent of the vote, according to the country's election commission.

Rubio was at times outspoken about foreign elections during his time in the Senate.

After Nicolás Maduro won a widely criticized election in Venezuela in July 2024, Rubio blasted the Biden administration's policy toward the country.

"Biden & Harris broadly eased Trump sanctions on Maduro regime as part of a 'deal' for elections in #Venezuela," he wrote at the time, referencing former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

"Today was that election and it was a complete fraud," he added. "The latest example of how our enemies have suckered Biden and Harris repeatedly over the last four years."