WASHINGTON — Three European diplomats opened the door to the ambassador’s residence and offered up a Cognac and a request for anonymity.
Years ago, they might have been happy to talk openly about American democracy, the core of the superpower’s “branding” on the global stage, as one of them put it. Now, it’s a subject of uncertainty and controversy. The brand is tarnished as former President Donald Trump, who tried to overturn the 2020 election, teases a political comeback and President Joe Biden, the man who replaced him, struggles politically.
“It’s not about Trump,” one of them said. “It’s much deeper than that. And that’s much more worrying.”
