A senior State Department official was visibly caught off guard when asked about the US government’s criticism of the Iranian elections and its silence over lack of such democratic process in Saudi Arabia.
The awkward moment happened Tuesday when Acting Assistant Secretary of State Stuart Jones, who accompanied President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Saudi Arabia last week, was holding a press briefing about the trip’s achievements.
“While you were over there, the secretary criticized the conduct of the Iranian elections and Iran’s record on democracy. He did so standing next to Saudi officials. How do you characterize Saudi Arabia’s commitment to democracy? And does the administration believe that democracy is a buffer or barrier against extremism?” the reporter asked.
Jones paused for 20 long seconds to collect his thoughts, during which he drew a deep breath and said “umm” twice, before he could barely…