'Abused' Tillerson loses clout on world stage, diplomats say
The State Department's influence wanes further after Trump undermines his top envoy, as some diplomats wonder why Tillerson doesn't quit.
By NAHAL TOOSI 12/01/2017 05:35 PM EST
Months of undermining by President Donald Trump have left Secretary of State Rex Tillerson a severely weakened figure on the world stage, according to U.S. and foreign diplomats — some of whom wonder why Tillerson doesn’t simply quit.
Even as the Trump White House signaled it wants to force Tillerson out of his job in the coming weeks, the State Department announced that Tillerson would embark on a visit to Europe next week. But current and former U.S. officials fear that, under the circumstances, further diplomacy by Tillerson could be pointless.
“Other governments have a good reason already to question whether Mr. Tillerson represents the views of the White House, and these latest reports add to that doubt,” said Thomas Countryman, a former career diplomat who served as an assistant secretary of state under President Barack Obama. The perception that a secretary of state has the trust of — and speaks for — the U.S. president is crucial to his or her sway with foreign leaders, diplomats said.
“It becomes difficult to work with the State Department and the secretary if you’re not sure if they reflect White House thinking,” an Asian ambassador told POLITICO.
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https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/01/rex-tillerson-global-influence-diplomats-274523
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