Hare Publishes Opinion Piece About Trump’s Truth Social Public Diplomacy
Master Lecturer Paul Webster Hare recently published an opinion piece for the USC Center for Public Diplomacy Blog titled “Why Trump’s ‘Truth Social Public Diplomacy’ Leads to Few Diplomatic Wins.” In the article, the professor explained how Trump’s attention-grabbing posts on Truth Social often provide countries with leverage to bolster their respective diplomatic strategies
“Trump portrays himself as the master dealmaker,” said Hare. “Do others see it like that? On July 8, a Russian newspaper commented: ‘The US president blows hot and cold…he changes his mind on key issues as easily as he changes shoes.’”
Hare listed various incidents where Trump used the Truth Social platform to further his diplomatic agenda including campaigning for a Nobel Peace Prize for himself for allegedly mediating a peace deal between India and Pakistan. On Truth Social, Trump also claimed that he’s the only one who could have secured the Hamas-Israel ceasefire in January 2025, even though President Joe Biden’s team had drafted the deal. In March 2025, the deal fell apart.
“Then Trump suggested that America should ‘own’ Gaza,” said Hare. “But Trump’s other main ally in the region – Saudi Arabia – had broken with him, insisting the Palestine State be recognized. Palestine now has far more support than when Trump came to office.”
Besides his relentless commentary on Iran, Putin, and tariffs, Hare mentioned that the president is also using the Truth Social platform to promote his family businesses in real estate, golf resorts, and cryptocurrency. According to Hare, “public diplomacy can help or hinder the overall activity of diplomacy. But the evidence suggests Trump’s use of Truth Social has seriously undercut America’s diplomatic credibility.”
To read Hare’s full article, click here.
Paul Webster Hare is a master lecturer at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. He served as British Ambassador to Cuba from 2001 to 2004 and also represented the U.K. to the European Union in Brussels, New York, Portugal, and Venezuela as deputy head of mission. Hare has extensively written about Cuba for renowned news outlets including The Financial Times, The Atlantic, Newsweek, and The Huffington Post. He is also the co-editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Diplomatic Reform and Innovation, which analyzes current practices of diplomacy and proposes practical solutions to improve diplomatic outcomes.