اتهامات بالتسريب وتهديدات بالتشهير.. ماذا يحدث داخل إدارة ترمب؟

Email correspondence has revealed a sharp dispute that lasted for months between two of the most prominent officials appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump, one of whom is the Deputy Secretary of State, involving accusations of leaking information to the media and threats described by one party as "strange" regarding defamation, in a conflict whose repercussions extended to communications that sometimes included more than 12 officials in the U.S. administration.
According to Politico, the dispute centers around Paolo Zamboli, Trump's personal friend and special envoy at the U.S. State Department, and Christopher Landau, the Deputy Secretary of State.
The correspondence covers a period of nearly a year and reveals recurring disagreements between the two men regarding the chain of command and the limits of authority, as Landau urged Zamboli to adhere to his duties related to cultural diplomacy, before discussions escalated into heated exchanges and unproven accusations.

Correspondence Reveals a Power Struggle

The significance of the messages is not limited to the sharp personal remarks exchanged between the officials, but extends to the widening circle of participants in the correspondence, as the names of up to 16 officials in the U.S. administration were included in the email chains at times.
The dispute also extended, at least on one occasion, to communications with a high-ranking foreign official, providing a window into the nature of the informal diplomatic communications conducted by the U.S. State Department with its allies regarding what appear to be violations of diplomatic norms and protocols.
The correspondence indicates that the conflict went beyond typical administrative disagreements, turning into a confrontation that included mutual accusations and concerns about leaking information to the media, along with threats of actions related to defamation.

A Direct Order from the Deputy Secretary of State

In one message dated November 14, 2025, Landau issued a direct order to Zamboli to cease work on any files not directly related to cultural diplomacy.
Landau wrote in the message: "I hereby issue you this order, once again, to immediately stop all work related to any issues not directly connected to cultural diplomacy, including every issue mentioned in your recent emails."
This message reflects a facet of the core disagreement between the officials, which focused on the limits of the special envoy's jurisdiction and the nature of the files he is entitled to handle, with the Deputy Secretary of State insisting on Zamboli's adherence to the defined scope of his duties.
The correspondence, according to Politico, sheds light on an internal dispute whose repercussions extended to other U.S. officials and external diplomatic communications, at a time when the messages raised questions about the management of authority and communication within the U.S. State Department.