A recent advertisement by the US State Department seeking Americans to serve as its 'eyes and ears' abroad, featuring an image of London's Big Ben, has stirred diplomatic unease among UK and US diplomats, who suggest it may reflect growing tensions in the transatlantic relationship.
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The ad, posted over the weekend, invites Americans to 'navigate great-power rivalries, defuse global crises, and protect Americans and their interests across the globe.' It depicts an American flag superimposed on a dark, grainy image of Big Ben.
A former UK diplomat described the ad as 'awfully spooky, like they're recruiting for the CIA and not the State Department.' The diplomat noted that the choice of London could be innocent, given its recognizability, but added that in the context of recent US lectures on free speech, 'the implication might be that the US is watching carefully what happens in Britain.'
A former senior US diplomat echoed these sentiments, stating that there is 'growing uneasiness in DC about the UK's independence from the US,' and that the image could be seen as a symbol of an overseas post tasked with monitoring other countries. However, they also acknowledged that London retains charm for many foreign service aspirants.
Context of Recruitment Changes
The ad comes after the State Department froze foreign service recruitment in February 2024 amid massive federal cuts led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Recruitment resumed earlier this month following an overhaul of the selection process and curriculum, which now emphasizes 'America First foreign policy' and eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion-related questions.
The American Foreign Service Association expressed 'serious concerns' about ideological influence in diplomat selection and training. A former US diplomat warned that the new approach risks reverting to the 1960s and 1970s, when diplomats were predominantly 'male, pale, and from Yale.'
Reactions from Experts
Orna Blum, a retired US senior diplomat, called the London image 'more a creative choice than a diplomatic one,' but noted a disconnect between the ad's rhetoric and the actual work of diplomacy, which involves building trust and managing crises.
The British diplomat criticized the 'eyes and ears' language, saying diplomats have traditionally been interlocutors who speak on behalf of their country, not passive information gatherers. Kristofer Harrison, a former State Department Russia expert, dismissed the ad as 'Maga incompetence,' emphasizing that diplomats are meant to be lines of communication, not surveillance assets.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended the recruitment efforts, calling claims of a poor relationship with the UK 'preposterous and conspiratorial.' He highlighted the upcoming visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Washington DC as a testament to the 'special relationship' between the two nations.
