Until this week, Rex Tillerson had been almost completely absent from the world stage. Though the first State Department press briefing since Trump took office had been scheduled for Monday, Tillerson wasn't expected to show. The briefing was subsequently postponed, but Tillerson did make an appearance Monday to help sell Trump's Muslim ban 2.0.
"It is the president's solemn duty to protect the American people, and with this order, President Trump is exercising his rightful authority to keep our people safe," Tillerson said.
Clearly the administration didn't want any hint of diplomacy interfering with its second attempt to single out a religious minority for discrimination. Tillerson's presence at the Muslim ban roll out combined with the postponement of the State Department’s first briefing further confirms a switch in the agency’s emphasis from international relations to counterterrorism efforts.
But the absence of the nation's top diplomat has rattled a lot of people who think diplomacy and international relations still matter, writes Nahal Toosi.
His aloof approach to his job is eroding confidence in him at the State Department, multiple sources told POLITICO, where staffers are upset about President Donald Trump’s mixed foreign policy messages and his plans to significantly cut the agency’s budget.
“It’s making me anxious,” said one State Department official who, like most others serving, requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
In addition to the absence of the ritual daily press briefings that were once staple viewing for foreign officials around the world, the department and the U.S. Agency for International Development are reportedly facing a combined budget cut of 37 percent even as Trump orders a 54 percent increase for the Department of Defense.
The Associated Press reported that Tillerson has agreed in principle to the cuts, but wants to spread them out over three years to soften the impact, which nonetheless would still be dramatic. State Department press aides sidestepped questions about Tillerson’s views on the proposed cuts. Tillerson may be playing a long game. [...]
But to some, Tillerson’s outward silence implies consent. Amid the confusion and rumors, some State staffers say they wish Tillerson would hold a town hall or similar forum simply to clarify things. “It’s an outrageous cut,” one U.S. diplomat said. “It doesn’t speak to [Tillerson’s] having much heft within the administration.”
This is all part of a massive federal restructuring that centralizes power in the White House among agencies that the White House does not consider directly related to national security. That includes the State Department, because in the eyes of Trump’s inner circle, anything that doesn't involve guns, bombs, and missiles couldn't possibly contribute to the nation's security.