Readers will likely recall the exchange between Ambassador Tai and Rep. Greg Murphy during the annual trade policy agenda hearing a few weeks back in which Rep. Murphy said he thought Ambassador Tai was "too nice" to be effective as the USTR. You remember it because it went viral, amassing hundreds of thousands of views and prompting commentaries across many news networks and social media. While it was one of many challenging exchanges in the hearing, it stood out for its critique of Ambassador Tai's personality, rather than the Administration's policy, even if it was intended to focus on the latter.
One question that has been underexplored is how this sort of exchange about traits compares to prior interactions between members of Congress and USTRs at these hearings. Wendy Li and I have gathered the data to answer that question. We've shared some insights over at the Yale Journal of Regulation's Notice & Comment blog if you're curious to learn more. We argue that this emphasis on the USTR's personality, which arises often over the years, is characteristic of the relatively unique triadic relationship among Congress, the president, and the USTR.
