U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., attend a cabinet meeting at the White House
Leaks expose the chaos within President Donald Trump's administration, particularly a bitter internal State Department dispute that escalated from petty arguments about diplomatic authority into accusations of misconduct, media leaks, and threats of dismissal, according to emails obtained by POLITICO.
The clash is primarily between Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Paolo Zampolli, a longtime Trump friend who once represented Melania Trump as a modeling agent and introduced the pair in New York. Their dispute is played out in a chain of emails that included more than 16 administration officials.
One admin official familiar with the exchanges described the feud as "cartoonish and embarrassing."
Zampolli serves as special representative for global partnerships, a position that Landau said should stick to cultural diplomacy. But the envoy has met with foreign officials on energy, investment, aviation, and other commercial issues, drawing rebukes from his superior.
In November 2025, Landau ordered Zampolli to stop working on issues not related to cultural diplomacy.
"You have no authority to engage in ANY issues of foreign policy outside of cultural diplomacy, including all the issues you have named," Landau wrote.
Landau later accused him of pursuing "unauthorized and possibly unlawful ventures in commercial and economic matters," and warned him of possible disciplinary action, which could include getting fired or a legal case. However, Zampolli shot back, denying suggestions of illegal conduct.
Foreign officials got involved in the messy feud after Zampolli visited the Balkans in February and Landau contacted Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić to say the envoy was not authorized to discuss anything outside cultural affairs.
"I apologize if his visit caused any confusion," Landau wrote.
On that trip, Zampolli discussed financing solar and hydroelectric projects in Republika Srpska, according to a government statement. Landau said Serbia's sports ministry had authorized the visit, but contacts with political and economic figures had not been cleared.
The emails go on for nearly one year and show a lack of communication within the chain of command inside the department, which is tasked with handling foreign relations.
Relations deteriorated further in June when Zampolli requested an inspector general investigation into Landau and accused him, without evidence, of leaking to The New York Times, which Landau strongly denied.
"Your threats and accusations are getting more and more bizarre, defamatory, and inappropriate for broad dissemination on email," Landau responded to Zampolli, describing his communication as "unhinged emails."
Zampolli insisted he answers directly to Trump, telling POLITICO only the president can fire him. He also said that Trump was unhappy with both men and had welcomed what seemed to be a reconciliation. The White House denied Zampolli's claim that his reporting line had been changed in July.
A spokesperson from the State Department stated that Landau was making sure that the officials moved forward Trump's agenda and that of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including the issue of special envoys.
At the same time, Zampolli ignored the limitations put on his position and boasted of his role in a deal between Boeing and Uzbekistan.
"Maybe they should give me a statue," he said.
