Terry Branstad stepping down as US ambassador to China next month

[cigaretteman]

Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will step down as U.S. ambassador to China early next month, ending a three-year tenure marked by a trade war and increasingly bitter relations between the world's two largest economies.

Branstad, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, confirmed his decision in a phone call with Trump last week, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement Monday. It did not give a reason for his departure.

“I am proudest of our work in getting the phase one trade deal and delivering tangible results for our communities back home," he was quoted as saying at an embassy staff meeting on Monday.

Word of his departure leaked out earlier in the day when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Branstad on Twitter for his service.


“Ambassador Branstad has contributed to rebalancing U.S.-China relations so that it is results-oriented, reciprocal, and fair,” Pompeo wrote in a follow-up tweet.

China's foreign ministry said before the embassy announcement that it was aware of Pompeo's tweet but had not received any notification that Branstad was leaving.

Branstad became embroiled in a recent controversy when China’s official People’s Daily newspaper rejected an opinion column that he had written.

Pompeo tweeted last week that China's ruling Communist Party refused to run Branstad's op-ed while the Chinese ambassador to the United States “is free to publish in any U.S. media outlet.”

More at: https://www.press-citizen.com/story...ssador-china-former-iowa-governor/5790184002/

 

[Pinehawk]

Did Branstad even do anything in that role? Doesn't feel like he did anything.

 

[MitchLL]

Hopefully, he's sharing a jail cell with Trump in five months.

I've got a really bad feeling this is a setup for Grassley retiring next year and Reynolds appointing her old boss as his replacement.

Damn, I hope I'm wrong.

 

[SoFla-Hawkeye]

Wants to get home before the last check from tRump bounces

 

[Huey Grey]

Grassley was perhaps one of the weakest ambassadors to China ever. He got nothing done, lost billions because of the trade war, and oversaw a more contentious and soured relationship with them. Whatever expertise he touted to originally get the job, clearly never existed.

 

[Pinehawk]

He was starting to show some physical decline before he resigned as Governor and disappeared for three years.
Things may have progressed to a point where he can't effectively work anymore.
Will be interesting to see him again, if we do.

 

[h-hawk]

Bringing Branstad home before starting the war to save his Presidency. What is scary is that with Trump this statement isn't ridiculous.

 

[IamHawkeye]

Grassley was perhaps one of the weakest ambassadors to China ever. He got nothing done, lost billions because of the trade war, and oversaw a more contentious and soured relationship with them. Whatever expertise he touted to originally get the job, clearly never existed.

But he really played up his "old friends" with XI to get the job.

 

[MitchLL]

He was starting to show some physical decline before he resigned as Governor and disappeared for three years.
Things may have progressed to a point where he can't effectively work anymore.
Will be interesting to see him again, if we do.

You may be right. He appeared to show symptoms of Parkinsons in his last days as Governor.

I'm just worried Kimmy and Braindead have other plans.

 

[Huey Grey]

But he really played up his "old friends" with XI to get the job.

I am relying on my memory, but didn't he tout his farming connections with China as his chief skillset? How ironic that is now.

 

[cigaretteman]

I am relying on my memory, but didn't he tout his farming connections with China as his chief skillset? How ironic that is now.

Yeah, he had met XI in the 1980s when Xi visited Iowa.

 

[lucas80]

He is just resigning to be out the door in case the Trump Administration implodes. They didn't call him Teflon Terry for nothing.
The report I saw said he is coming back to Iowa. I assume he's going to try and leverage some money, or another job for one of his useless sons out of his ambassadorship. He has friends in Iowa, but he sure hasn't done much for them the last few years.

 

[jasonrann]

Branstad is still alive, who knew?!

 

[MitchLL]

The Iowa taxpayers are still on the hook for the court judgments against him in the sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits while he was Governor.

For Gods sake, Terry... stay away until those are paid off. Branstad's partner in crime... current Iowa Governor Reynolds, tried to get those judgments thrown out right after she inherited her position.

Iowa, for a relatively small State, sure has it's share of corrupt politicians.

 

[Pinehawk]

He'll come back to Iowa and Wellmark will put him back on the Board and pay him nicely for his work for them as Governor.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

He was starting to show some physical decline before he resigned as Governor and disappeared for three years.
Things may have progressed to a point where he can't effectively work anymore.
Will be interesting to see him again, if we do.

Remember when he was rushed to the hospital because he forgot how to chew food?

That was over 8 years ago, I doubt he's in better shape physically and mentally now. He's still more viable than Chuckles however.

 

[Pinehawk]

Has he really been seen in public over the past three years? If so, I don't recall.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

Branstad is still alive, who knew?!

That's what I was thinking. I thought he died like 8 years ago....

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

Great. I suppose that means the son of a bitch is coming back to Iowa?