U.S. State Department Internal Directive Bars Diplomats From Public Assessments of Foreign Elections Under Trump Administration

The U.S. State Department has issued an internal directive imposing strict limits on its public assessments of foreign elections, marking a notable shift in policy. This change reduces the frequency with which U.S. officials declare other countries' elections as completely free and fair. The directive instructs U.S. diplomats abroad to refrain from commenting on the fairness of foreign electoral processes. This development was reported by multiple sources, including the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, and reflects a move by the Trump administration to curtail the practice of publicly evaluating foreign election integrity.