RNC Research

The White House Had A “Muddled” Message On Egypt. “Part of the muddled messaging over the last couple weeks in Egypt seems to have had to do with the fact that people in and around the State Department weren’t entirely clear on what the White House was trying to say.” (Ben Smith, “Obama’s Freedom Agenda,” Politico’s “Ben Smith” Blog, 2/13/11)

• The Obama Administration Has Repeatedly “Seemed Uncertain On Its Feet.” “It is hardly the first time the Obama administration has seemed uncertain on its feet during the Egyptian crisis, as it struggles to stay on the right side of history and to avoid accelerating a revolution that could spin out of control.” (David E. Sanger, “As Mubarak Digs In, U.S. Policy In Egypt Is Complicated,” The New York Times, 2/5/11)

• “The Mixed Messages Have Been Confusing And At Times Embarrassing - A Reflection Of A Policy That, By Necessity, Has Been Made Up On The Fly.” (David E. Sanger, “As Mubarak Digs In, U.S. Policy In Egypt Is Complicated,” The New York Times, 2/5/11)

• The Administration’s Position On Mubarak Was Unclear. “The administration’s response was less clear, ranging from support for Mubarak to a verbal shove toward the door.” (Indira A.R. Lakshmanan and Hans Nichols, “Obama Administration Team Looked Unsteady In Response To Egypt Protesters,” Bloomberg, 2/14/11)

• Obama’s Egypt Response Was Plagued With Unsteady Public Messaging. “The unsteadiness of the public messaging robbed the administration of an opportunity to exert more influence on the outcome through behind-the-scenes diplomacy, say some critics.” (Indira A.R. Lakshmanan and Hans Nichols, “Obama Administration Team Looked Unsteady In Response To Egypt Protesters,” Bloomberg, 2/14/11)

Obama And Administration Officials Were Not On The Same Page. “While Obama’s words have been clear and consistent, the message was muddied by multiple U.S. officials who reacted to confusing events in sometimes contradictory language. On Jan. 25, Clinton said the Egyptian government was ‘stable.’ Two days later, Biden declared Mubarak was not a dictator and needn’t resign.” (Indira A.R. Lakshmanan and Hans Nichols, “Obama Administration Team Looked Unsteady In Response To Egypt Protesters,” Bloomberg, 2/14/11)