"Mr. Trump seems more at home with Middle Eastern autocrats than he does with European democrats." — Antony Blinken

The National Security Act of 1947 - which established the National Security Council - laid the foundation for a deliberate, multitiered process, managed by the national security adviser, to bring government agencies together to debate and decide policy.

I was the first senior American official to meet with Riyadh's dynamic Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the Saudi intervention in Yemen in 2015. I reiterated the United States' commitment to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi aggression and to help press the Houthis back to the bargaining table.

Interests change and diverge; values do not.

Tweeting first and asking questions later is not a good way to make policy - especially in the Middle East.