The State Department is no place for people “devastated” by American democracy, a Republican official has said
US State Department employees who can’t handle Donald Trump’s presidential victory should be fired on day one of his administration, Republican lawmakers have argued. The diplomatic corps reportedly organized therapy sessions for people who are upset over the outcome of the recent election.
In a letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California accused the department of “catering to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy.”
Issa was referring to a report published earlier this month by the Washington Free Beacon, which cited an internal memo about two therapy sessions on “managing stress during change,” the first of which was on the Friday after the election. A State Department source described the event as a “‘cry session’ over Trump’s victory.”
It was disturbing, Issa said, that “ostensibly nonpartisan government officials would suffer a personal meltdown over the results of a free and fair election.” He suggested that “if foreign service officers cannot follow through on the American people’s preferences, they should resign and seek a political appointment in the next Democrat administration.”
The letter, which was shared with the Washington Free Beacon, requested that Blinken provide explanations about the therapy sessions and other similar events that it may have held in-house in the past.
A similar rebuke came from Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who fumed that “our diplomacy is too important to be left to children” and called for every attendee of the therapy sessions to be fired “on day one” of the Trump administration.
Trump’s inauguration will take place on January 20. He picked Senator Marco Rubio of Florida to replace Blinken at the helm of the State Department, with no obstacles expected for his confirmation in Congress.
Left-leaning UK newspaper The Guardian offered its employees, particularly those living in the US, free counseling and emotional support following Trump’s victory, according to a memo quoted by Guido Fawkes, a British political gossip blog.
