Overview

• Politico quotes current and former diplomats who say the department’s internal transparency has sharply deteriorated.
• More than half of U.S. ambassadorships are vacant, with many senior posts filled in an acting capacity, sometimes by officials with limited relevant experience.
• Messages from headquarters to overseas posts have grown less frequent and clear, leaving diplomats cut out of policy discussions and scrambling to implement confusing directives.
• A promotion focus on “fidelity” to administration goals has fostered fear of reprisals for candid analysis, with officials wary of risking careers by voicing dissent.
• Insiders also report outside pressure on decisions, including claims that far-right influencer Laura Loomer influenced a suspension of visas for Palestinians from Gaza and urged firings of some Muslim diplomats.