Enrique Dupuy de Lôme (1851–1904) was a Spanish ambassador to the United States. Through the so-called De Lôme Letter, he defamed U.S. President William McKinley and attacked McKinley's policies. Cuban rebels intercepted the letter, and on February 9, 1898, the letter was published in U.S. newspapers. This helped contribute to the Spanish–American War which started April 25, 1898.