The isolation of the State Department in Trump's White House
To the Point
KCRW
4.4 • 583 Ratings
🗓️ 1 August 2017
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Career diplomats say the Trump Administration is "hollowing out" the State Department with no clear foreign policy from the Secretary of State or the White House. Congress is already showing impatience as the President has yet to sign a sanctions bill passed with veto-proof majorities.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point. |
| 0:07.8 | Is U.S. diplomacy under friendly fire? |
| 0:14.2 | Hello again, I'm Aronaldi, and this is To the Point. |
| 0:17.0 | After six months of the Trump administration, America's professional diplomats are reportedly desperate for a foreign policy or even for something to do. |
| 0:25.4 | They complain, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has walled himself off from the diplomatic corps and that he's being walled off from the White House. |
| 0:33.8 | Ambassadorships and other important jobs are going unfilled and budget cuts may add to the hollowing out of a veteran staff already depleted by resignations. |
| 0:43.3 | What's at stake for America's interests and American values around the world? |
| 0:48.3 | Later on today's talking point as airline seats get smaller and smaller, are you uncomfortable? |
| 0:55.4 | The FAA officially doesn't care. First, here's the news. |
| 1:01.9 | Check out KCRW's All News Channel, News 24. Programming from KCRW, NPRW, NPR, BBC, and more 24 hours a day. |
| 1:12.2 | Go to KCRW.com slash News24 or listen on KCRW's app. |
| 1:22.6 | Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International |
| 1:30.6 | Program Fund. |
| 1:31.5 | Hello again, Warren Olney. |
| 1:32.6 | Back with To the Point. |
| 1:33.6 | Career diplomats say the Trump administration is hollowing out the State Department with |
| 1:37.2 | no clear foreign policy from the Secretary of State or the White House. |
| 1:41.6 | Congress already is showing impatience, says the president has yet to sign a |
| 1:45.1 | sanctions bill passed with veto-proof majorities. We'll talk about the implications of all that. |
| 1:50.3 | Today's talking point, a federal judge has roasted America's air carriers for the incredible |
| 1:55.0 | shrinking airline seat. Passengers say that's a case for the Federal Aviation Administration, |
| 2:00.7 | but the FAA says, never mind. |
... |
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