Trump’s ambassador to Israel accused of making ‘odd’ and ‘awkward’ sex joke in memo to staff sheltering in place
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is accused of making a bizarre sex joke in a memo to diplomatic staff as they shelter in place amid the ongoing war with Iran.
In the memo, obtained by The Washington Post, the Trump administration official reportedly joked that diplomats, staffers and their families may have some new children nine months from now given their “extended time” together.
If that time “results in the birth of your next child in about 9 months, I of course expect that you will want to name the little bugger after me!” the wartime memo allegedly reads.
A U.S. official told the Post the message was “awkward” and “odd.”
The Independent has contacted the State Department for comment.
Americans in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, including embassy personnel, have been given guidance to shelter in place, a State Department update on Tuesday said.
“The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel,” the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said on Monday.
That same day, a notice from the embassy said the U.S. couldn’t guarantee Americans’ safety if they chose to use an Israeli border shuttle being offered to those fleeing the conflict.
“The U.S. Embassy cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle,” the notice read. “If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety.”
The war has broadened into a multi-front conflict, and Americans in Israel are on the frontlines, as strikes have hit the country and Israeli troops have deployed into nearby Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Diplomatic staff across the Middle East are on high alert as the war continues.
Iran has already targeted attacked the U.S. embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and at least six American service members have been killed in the fighting.
The State Department is “actively working on plans to help Americans in the Middle East return home,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday.
Prior to Huckabee’s reported memo, he made headlines before the conflict for an adversarial interview with podcaster Tucker Carlson, highlighting the ongoing divide within conservative circles over U.S. policy towards Israel.
During the conversation, the Trump official said he would be “fine” if Israel took over more nearby territory, angering regional diplomats, though he later softened his comments.
