{"id":90612,"date":"2018-10-11T14:10:41","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T12:10:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=90612"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:07","slug":"fake-news-ambassador-pete-hoekstra-launches-charm-offensive-at-guest-lecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/10\/11\/fake-news-ambassador-pete-hoekstra-launches-charm-offensive-at-guest-lecture\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Fake news\u2019 ambassador Pete Hoekstra launches charm offensive at guest lecture"},"content":{"rendered":"

A curious \u2018fake news\u2019 incident that happened in his first week on the job made Pete Hoekstra perhaps the most famous American ambassador to the Netherlands of all times. So it was hardly a surprise when hundreds of students showed up at the Auditorium (Aula) on Wednesday morning to attend the International Economics guest lecture taught by Hoekstra.<\/p>\n

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Ambassador Pete Hoekstra in the auditorium.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tErasmus School of Economics \/ Michelle Muus<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Hoekstra \u2013 who was born in Groningen but emigrated to the United States at age 3 \u2013 was a guest lecturer in Julian Emami Namini\u2019s International Economics course. The session was open to non-International Economics students, as well. Assistant professor Emami Namini has been inviting ambassadors to the Netherlands since 2016. Hoekstra was preceded by his colleagues representing Iran, the United Kingdom and Germany.<\/p>\n

Emami Namini was aware that Hoekstra, who is known to be a highly conservative Republican, was a controversial person. \u201cSeveral of my colleagues told me not to invite him because of his views. But controversial people are great for teaching students that there are people out there who hold views that completely oppose their own. It\u2019s all right as long as they are willing to be open-minded while debating and allow all sorts of questions to be asked. And he did allow that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Netherlands second<\/h2>

Hoekstra opened his guest lecture on international trade relations by launching a charm offensive in which he flattered the Netherlands. \u201cDutch people always say, \u2018we are only a small country\u2019, but the Netherlands is the third- or fourth-largest foreign investor in America, so this country is very important to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He referred to Zondag met Lubach<\/em>\u2019s\u00a0\u2018America First, The Netherlands Second\u2019 video, which went viral in 2017.\u00a0\u201cWe like that sort of thing in America. As long as America remains first,\u201d Hoekstra said jokingly. He also complimented Mark Rutte on his state visit to Trump: \u201cPeople were angry because he interrupted the President, but he did so with a smile, and at exactly the right moment,\u201d said the ambassador, who is reputed to be a loyal Trump supporter. He then went on to sing the praises of the Trump administration\u2019s international negotiations.<\/p>\n

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