The Trump administration has nominated an associate of Vice President Mike Pence for a top diplomatic role which has historically been reserved for senior career diplomats, Foreign Policy reports.
Last month President Donald Trump nominated Stephen Akard to be director general of the foreign service – a move which prompts fears that Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plan to further politicize American diplomacy, FP notes. Widely seen as one of the most prestigious jobs in the foreign service, and analogous to the chief of staff position of the military branches, the position was specifically designed to insulate the foreign service from political turbulence, FP informs.
Akard served eight years in the foreign service over a decade ago, from 1997 to 2005, including tours in Belgium and India and as a staff aide to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, before leaving to work on economic development for the state of Indiana under then-Governor Mike Pence.
According to eight current and former officials, Akard’s nomination will further politicize and potentially weaken the country’s ranks of professional diplomats that are already reeling from the Trump administration’s sidelining of Foggy Bottom and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s redesign program, FP writes.
However, a State Department spokesman rejected the criticisms, saying his nomination is “an indication of how committed the Trump administration is to improving how the federal government operates and delivers on its mission.” FP adds.
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