An apparently harmless post by Flemish minister Zuhal Demir about the ‘orange danger’ during the US midterm elections sparked a diplomatic scandal. Ambassador Bill White reacted angrily on X, accusing her of racism and calling her a ‘provincial bumpkin’. In defence of his president, the diplomat then listed billions of euros in investments promised to Belgium.

(Editorial team: Belgium & US / Diplomacy & Politics)

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Traditional diplomacy, with verbal notes, consultations and measured language, appears to have been thrown out of the window in relations between Washington and Brussels. The new US ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, turned an exchange on social media into a full-blown diplomatic conflict, using language rarely employed even by tabloids to describe foreign officials.

It began with a statement by Flemish Minister for Environment and Labour Zuhal Demir (N-VA). After learning the results of the US midterm elections, she posted a brief message on social media: ‘The orange danger has been kept under control’ — an obvious reference to the Democrats’ victory and President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

Accusation of racism and a sarcastic response

The post immediately angered Ambassador Bill White. He accused the Flemish minister of referring to President Trump’s skin colour, calling it a deeply racist remark.

Zuhal Demir was not intimidated and replied with biting irony: ‘My apologies to Donald Trump and the other members of the orange community if my words were misunderstood. After all, it’s a little “woke”, Bill!’ (Editor’s note: ‘woke’ is a term used by the American right to criticise what it sees as excessive attention to social injustices.)

‘Provincial bumpkin’

The minister’s response was sharp, but the ambassador’s final reply crossed every boundary of diplomatic protocol. In a lengthy post on X, Bill White effectively declared all-out war.

‘Donald J. Trump is nowhere near being a threat and certainly will not be stopped. He is our commander-in-chief. I will always defend the President of the United States,’ the diplomat wrote, before launching a personal attack: ‘I reject this vile and racist remark by this provincial bumpkin!’ (The original French expression was ‘cette plouc du coin’.)

White went on to tell the minister to get back to work: ‘Now, get back to work. That is what I do every day to make our relationship the best it has ever been!’

Billions of euros: the ultimate argument

To defend his position and demonstrate what the United States brings to Belgium — while stressing Trump’s importance to that relationship — the ambassador moved from insults to figures. White presented an impressive list of projects and funding, claiming they were the result of the US president’s policies.

These included:

• €10 billion authorised to finance two new nuclear reactors, one in Flanders and one in Wallonia.
• A possible €1 billion for the IMEC research centre.
• Nearly €30 million for the SCK CEN nuclear research centre in Mol.
• A project for a US consulate in Antwerp.

Although the ambassador acknowledged that some projects still required final approval from Washington, he used the figures as rhetorical leverage, asking Demir whether she wanted Trump to block the investments because of her remarks.

Accumulated grievances

The ambassador’s message also revealed other grievances. He criticised the long queues at Zaventem Airport and the bureaucracy faced by the US company 3M in Flanders. He also reproached the minister for speaking about him without knowing him, pointing to his support for the Kurdish people.

Conclusion

The exchange illustrates a radical change in the style of American diplomacy, which now seems to embrace the direct confrontation typical of social media. Treating a political joke about the ‘orange danger’ as racism and directing an insult such as ‘provincial bumpkin’ at a serving minister is extraordinary, even by the unpredictable standards of contemporary politics. It remains to be seen whether Zuhal Demir will respond and whether the confrontation will affect bilateral relations or remain merely an embarrassing episode in the history of digital diplomacy.