Courtesy of Politico:
President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling American diplomats from Russia on the grounds that “we’re going to save a lot of money,” prompting dismay among many of the rank-and-file at the State Department.
“I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down our payroll, and as far as I’m concerned I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” Trump told reporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to a pool report.
“There’s no real reason for them to go back,” he added. “I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’re going to save a lot of money.”
I watched this yesterday and my jaw just about hit the floor.
Seriously, WTF?
First off these diplomats are not off the payroll, they will simply be assigned to other posts.
And secondly since when does our commander-in-chief thank another world leader for ejecting American diplomats?
As you can imagine this did not go over well with people working in that field:
A senior U.S. diplomat serving overseas called Trump's remarks "outrageous" and said it could lead more State Department staffers to head for the exits.
"This is so incredibly demoralizing and disrespectful to people serving their country in harm's way," the diplomat said.
"I kid you not, I have heard from three different people in the last five minutes," one State Department official told POLITICO shortly after Trump's comments. "Everyone seems pretty amazed. This statement is naive and shortsighted. It sends a terrible signal to local employees everywhere."
"THANK Putin?" another bewildered State Department official responded. "I don't have words that are printable to describe my reaction."
It should be noted that this was yet another opportunity that Trump had to criticize Putin and he refused to take it. Instead he took to Twitter and attacked Mitch McConnell.
This led Joe Scarborough to suggest the following:
“The only person that I certainly can think of that he has never insulted, that he has never attacked is Vladimir Putin, which, again, raises the question, and I will ask it again on TV: What does Vladimir Putin have on Donald Trump?” Scarborough said. “Because whatever it is, it must be extraordinary.”
Yeah, I think at this point this is an unavoidable question.
Source http://ift.tt/2vXwQsT
President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling American diplomats from Russia on the grounds that “we’re going to save a lot of money,” prompting dismay among many of the rank-and-file at the State Department.
“I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down our payroll, and as far as I’m concerned I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” Trump told reporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to a pool report.
“There’s no real reason for them to go back,” he added. “I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’re going to save a lot of money.”
I watched this yesterday and my jaw just about hit the floor.
Seriously, WTF?
First off these diplomats are not off the payroll, they will simply be assigned to other posts.
And secondly since when does our commander-in-chief thank another world leader for ejecting American diplomats?
As you can imagine this did not go over well with people working in that field:
A senior U.S. diplomat serving overseas called Trump's remarks "outrageous" and said it could lead more State Department staffers to head for the exits.
"This is so incredibly demoralizing and disrespectful to people serving their country in harm's way," the diplomat said.
"I kid you not, I have heard from three different people in the last five minutes," one State Department official told POLITICO shortly after Trump's comments. "Everyone seems pretty amazed. This statement is naive and shortsighted. It sends a terrible signal to local employees everywhere."
"THANK Putin?" another bewildered State Department official responded. "I don't have words that are printable to describe my reaction."
It should be noted that this was yet another opportunity that Trump had to criticize Putin and he refused to take it. Instead he took to Twitter and attacked Mitch McConnell.
This led Joe Scarborough to suggest the following:
“The only person that I certainly can think of that he has never insulted, that he has never attacked is Vladimir Putin, which, again, raises the question, and I will ask it again on TV: What does Vladimir Putin have on Donald Trump?” Scarborough said. “Because whatever it is, it must be extraordinary.”
Yeah, I think at this point this is an unavoidable question.
Source http://ift.tt/2vXwQsT
