Trump envoy used vulgarity, vodka shots to bond with Lukashenko

In a revelation that offers rare insight into the Trump administration’s unorthodox diplomatic approach, the President’s special envoy to Belarus recently described using crude language and navigating a boozy lunch to build rapport with authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

John Coale, tasked with securing the release of political prisoners from the Eastern European nation, recounted his first meeting with Lukashenko during an appearance at Arizona State University’s McCain Institute. According to Coale, when Lukashenko began complaining about Europeans, the envoy seized the opportunity to connect by using vulgar language to disparage them.

“He starts complaining about the Europeans — Europeans this, Europeans that. So I said to him, ‘Yeah, they’re a bunch of p———.’ So, I had him in my hand from then on,” Coale told the audience.

In a subsequent interview with The Associated Press, Coale defended his approach. “If I have to use locker room language to get 500 political prisoners released, I will do it every time,” he said, echoing terminology that Trump himself used in 2016 when apologizing for his own recorded use of similar vulgar language.

Coale’s informal diplomatic style represents a departure from traditional State Department protocols but appears aligned with Trump’s preference for direct, personal negotiations with foreign leaders. The envoy, a Maryland attorney married to TV journalist Greta Van Susteren, was appointed as Trump’s deputy special envoy to Ukraine in March 2025 before being elevated to special envoy to Belarus.

His unorthodox approach appears to be yielding results. Last week, Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 political prisoners as part of an agreement with Washington that lifted certain U.S. sanctions—the largest single-day release of political prisoners in the country’s recent history.

Coale’s initial meeting with the Belarusian leader lasted two hours and included a lunch with numerous vodka toasts. The envoy humorously described pouring shots onto the floor when Lukashenko wasn’t looking to avoid becoming intoxicated, though he noted that some State Department colleagues who accompanied him “were hammered” after participating in all eight toasts.

Belarus has been under Western sanctions for years, both for its political repression under Lukashenko’s 30-year rule and for allowing Russia to use its territory during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The recent prisoner releases represent a significant shift as Lukashenko appears eager to improve relations with the United States under Trump’s leadership.

Lukashenko’s authoritarian governance faced its most serious challenge following the 2020 presidential election, when tens of thousands of Belarusians protested what they viewed as rigged results. The government’s crackdown saw thousands detained and beaten, with opposition leaders either imprisoned or forced into exile. Despite this unrest, Lukashenko secured a seventh term in last year’s election, which opposition figures dismissed as a farce.

Recent releases of high-profile political prisoners include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and prominent opposition figures Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Viktar Babaryka, and Maria Kolesnikova. These releases appear strategic as Belarus attempts to thaw relations with Western nations.

Coale expressed confidence that the Trump administration will secure the freedom of all political prisoners by year’s end. “I’d be willing to bet on that,” he said, revealing plans for additional trips to Belarus that he expects will result in the release of “a couple hundred” more detainees.

While Coale’s methods may raise eyebrows among diplomatic traditionalists, they follow a pattern of sometimes undiplomatic language used by U.S. officials. In 2014, Victoria Nuland, then the top U.S. diplomat for European and Eurasian affairs, was forced to apologize after a leaked private conversation revealed her using profanity regarding European hesitancy on Ukraine policy. Similarly, during the Iraq War, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher faced criticism for dismissively referring to France, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg as the “chocolate makers.”

Coale’s blunt characterization of his diplomatic technique—”I think this type of diplomacy that Donald Trump has pushed forward does work”—highlights the administration’s willingness to prioritize results over diplomatic niceties, particularly when dealing with authoritarian leaders.