Associated Press: Diplomats frustrated, confused by Trump administration
“America’s diplomats are struggling to figure out what mission the Trump administration expects them to carry out, and they see the importance of their jobs waning as President Donald Trump seeks drastic cuts to the budgets of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. The results of a survey commissioned by the State Department found a high level of confusion and demoralization among the ranks of career diplomats and civil servants, who expressed concerns about their futures as well as the trajectory of American foreign policy. The survey results were released to State Department and USAID employees Wednesday in a 110-page report…” (Lederman/Lee, 7/6).

Wall Street Journal: State Department Workers Vent Grievances Over Trump, Tillerson, Cite Longer-Term Issues
“…Many of the more than 35,000 State Department and USAID employees responding to the survey indicated longtime frustration with the way the agencies function, including poor technology and duplicative and redundant processes that make frequent workarounds necessary. They also cited pet projects created by ambassadors and Congress, according to the report reviewed by the Journal. USAID employees in the report said they are particularly concerned about the consequences of a move to fully absorb USAID into the State Department, which officials are considering…” (Schwartz, 7/4).

Wall Street Journal: State Department Workers Cite Numerous Concerns in Survey
“Secretary of State Rex Tillerson commissioned a survey of employees and officials of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, which found concerns among many of them. Here is a sampling of comments made by employees in response to survey questions and questions from the study’s interviewers, according to a report on the research seen by The Wall Street Journal…” (Schwartz, 7/4).