Gordon Sondland - The Envoy: Mastering the Art of Diplomacy with Trump and the World

Published by Bombar dier Books

An Imprint of Post Hill Press

ISBN: 978-1-6 3758-528-3

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-6 3758-529-0

The Envoy:

Mastering the Art of Diplomacy with Trump and the World

2022 GDS Literary LLC

All Right s Reserved

Cover Design by Ti ffani Shea

This is a work of nonfiction. All people, locations, events, and situation are portrayed to the best of the author s memory.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Post Hill Press

New York Nashville

posthil lpress.com

Published in the United States of America

To Ma x and Lucy

Table of Contents

T he Treaty Room is a large and ornately decorated meeting space located on the second floor of the White House, on the right side of the semi-circular columns that give the building its neoclassical look. The room has always been used as the presidents private study, but since President Andrew Johnson it has also served as a place where Cabinet members meet. In 1898, it was the space where President William McKinley signed the US peace treaty with Spainhence its name.

On a hot and muggy day in August of 2019, I am making my way to this very room with the forty-fifth president of the United States, Donald J. Trump. The president stops suddenly and pulls out a card from his suit pocket. Its a cheat sheet that includes a few key meeting details. He asks me, Wait, how do you pronounce this guys name? EYE-o-hannis?

No, no, I say. Yo-HA-nis. Theres a bit of exasperation in my voice because Ive already pronounced the name several times. I repeat a little louder, YO-HA-NIS.

When did I meet him?

A couple of years ago.

What does Romania want?

I fill him in on a few quick tidbits about the president of Romania and how were friends with them because were both opposed to a natural gas pipeline that Vladimir Putin wants to build from Russia to Eastern Europe. Trump nods.

I was supposed to give Trump a full briefing earlier that morning with the US ambassador to Romania and a phalanx of State Department officials, but instead, at the appointed time, I find myself wandering the West Wing looking for him. Fortunately for me, I had been especially nice earlier that morning to the receptionist who has the power to issue blue or green White House passes. The blue pass is like a VIP backstage pass that grants roaming access to all parts of the Old Executive Office Buildingnow known as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB)and the White House. The green pass restricts you to the EEOB and limited parts of the White House.

With my blue pass dangling from my neck, I make my way down the halls. When I get to the Oval Office, the door is open, country music blasting from inside. Trump, sitting at the Resolute Desk, catches a glimpse of me outside the door and beckons, Get in here and tell me which song you like.

An aide is standing in the office with him, her face like a deer in headlights. Hes choosing which song to use for his walk-on, she manages to yell over the noise. Hes vetting the theme music for his next rally. Really. Trump does focus on some details, and this is an important one. Never mind the fact that the Oval Office sounds like a country western bar, and we are supposed to be prepping for a visit with a foreign leader. He skips forward through a couple of tracks.

Mr. President, Iohannis is showing up any minute. Dont you want to be brought up to speed? I yell, scanning my briefing paper. At this moment, a group of officials and dignitaries are gathered in the Cabinet Room for an advance discussion, waiting for us. DJ Trump gives me little further response, so I walk down the hall to meet the others. I enter the room and see the empty chair where I should have been sitting: at the end of the table with my mouth shut.

Everyone stands when the president enters a few minutes later. We then walk together down the colonnade and into the main building of the WH with a swarm of aides in tow. As we wait in the Treaty Room for the foreign leaders motorcade to arrive, Trump reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box of Tic Tacs. He shakes a few into his hand and scarfs them down. He looks over at me, since Ive held out my hand in his direction.

What the fuck, arent you going to share? I ask him.

Slightly sheepish, Trump pulls out the white mints and shakes some into my hand. When you call him out on not acting like a normal person, it catches him off guardand then he kind of likes it. People do it too infrequently.

A few moments later, Iohannis enters the room. Trump greets the Romanian president as if they are long-time golf buddies. This is Trump in his element, when he gets to gab with other powerful men. He and I share a background as hoteliers, and that line of work requires schmooze skills: we know how to make small talk with just about anyone. This kind of country club chatter is a way of life for Trump. It plays to his strengths and feeds his ego.

Then Iohannis turns to me with a big smile. Gordon!

Hi Mr. President, welcome!

Trump watches bemused as Iohannis and I exchange pleasantries. Trump will find a way to make sure we all know whos in charge, just give him a second. So, I see you know our ambassador to the EU? Trump asks. Iohannis answers with an embarrassingly effusive comment about me, making matters worse.

Did you know Ambassador Sondland is also a hotel guy? His doesnt have as many hotels as me, and they arent as nice, but he does OK. Yup. There it is. Iohannis laughs politely.

I didnt mind this sort of thing because in a job like mine, you had to take the good with the bad, and that meant putting up with Trumps insecurity. Over time, though, I realized that working with Trump was like staying at an all-inclusive resort. Youre thrilled when you first arrive, but things start to go downhill fast. Quality issues start to show. The people who work the place can be rude and not so bright. Attrition is a huge problem. And eventually, you begin to wonder why you agreed to the deal in the first place.

That sums up my experience as ambassador to the European Union under Trump. Im not embarrassed to say I was able to get the Presidents attention with a $1 million donation. How I learned to deal with Trumpto manage his unorthodox management styleand the lessons I learned about how real politics and diplomacy work are the reasons Im writing this book. But the reason you should read it is that Ill share a new view on the Trump presidency while also pointing out some legitimate issues of the US as an economic and political power.

This book offers the same frank assessment of both Trump and his enemies that I gave in my impeachment testimony, which got people across the political spectrum thanking me for my frankness. Its the same with everything I do. What you see is what you get. I dont have an axe to grind; I dont canonize the man or claim hes the second coming of Hitler, though I will never forgive him for what happened on January 6. Hes an extremely sharp, decisive, and divisive figure who happens to have attention and ego issues that get in the way of his mostly sound policy positions.

He represented the antithesis of what I learned about lifelong politicians in Washington. Their main purpose for existing is to continue to exist. And the same goes for the lifetime bureaucrats like John Bolton or Alex Vindman who hide behind their love of country and belief in Democracy and Truth. Their well be here when youre gone mentality pervades everything they do. Ill show how, on the other hand, Trump brought with him an outsiders clarity to the problems that have plagued the government for many administrations, from foreign diplomacy to trade issues to how things get done inside Washington.