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CNN
39 minutes ago
- CNN
State Department firings will hit Trump admin's ability to tackle its own priorities, sources say
The mass firing of State Department employees could significantly impact the Trump administration's ability to address the priorities it has said it values, multiple former and current department officials told CNN. Scores of personnel focused on issues the administration has said are no longer priorities were cut last week, including teams dealing with climate change, global women's issues, educational exchanges, refugees and Afghan resettlement. But Friday's reductions in force (RIFS) also impacted offices working on issues prioritized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including counterterrorism, stopping drug trafficking, energy diplomacy and mitigating passport and visa fraud. Political leadership has said the functions will be carried out by other parts of the State Department and were 'carefully tailored' to avoid impacting core functions. However, officials warn that a lack of continuity and loss of expertise could be dangerous. 'The loss of so much experience will make it harder for the United States to stop terrorists from successfully launching a major terrorist attack on American soil,' one former State Department official said. There was also a sense of chaos as the cuts were implemented. Although some of the Washington, DC, offices hit by layoffs had been identified for elimination under the State Department's reorganization plan, sources who spoke with CNN said many of the firings came as a surprise to even managers. Others said they had been given little to no guidance from political leadership on how to transition the work of the more than 1,300 fired personnel. A few people received notices they were being fired, only to have those notices rescinded hours later. The office that assists the families of US citizen employees who die overseas had its entire staff fired, sources told CNN, leaving at least one grieving family in limbo. Even some personnel from the office that helped to plan the logistics for collecting electronic devices from fired employees – and were doing so on Friday – got notices that they were being laid off. Numerous personnel who were fired had worked at the agency for decades. Nearly 250 were foreign service officers, including some who already were set to serve in other offices. 'I had one friend who found out while she was midair' and checking something on the airplane Wifi, one former State Department official told CNN. A senior State Department officials said last week that the reorganization 'looked at the functions that were being performed, not at individuals.' In a memo Friday announcing the start of the firings, the State Department said the cuts had been 'carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found from centralization or consolidation of functions and responsibilities.' However, sources say it is impossible to isolate the cuts to 'non-core functions.' On issues like consular affairs, personnel processing visas and passports were not fired. However, cuts to other offices may have an impact, sources said. Rubio had previously said that the State Department might expand the Bureau of Consular Affairs, which is responsible for visas and passports and helping citizens overseas, in order to meet demand for upcoming events in the US like the Olympics and the World Cup. Top State Department official Michael Rigas on Wednesday told lawmakers that people who 'are adjudicating passports, who are doing the customer service work that we want to see continue were not reduced or eliminated.' However, there were offices within the Consular Affairs bureau that had people fired on Friday. The cuts come as the administration has applied new levels of scrutiny for those seeking student and exchange visas to the US. The Bureau of Consular Affairs' Office of Fraud Prevention Programs saw significant cuts, sources said. That unit works 'to protect the integrity of all consular services from fraud,' according to a State Department article from October 2023. 'Effective fraud detection and prevention contributes to U.S. border security, facilitates legitimate travel, and protects U.S. citizens,' the article said. 'It's hard to square any of this with what the administration has been saying,' another former State Department official said. They questioned how the bureau would be able to meet demand 'when you're cutting all of the support elements,' like cutting staff on the fraud prevention unit and contract management, as well as canceling assignments for people on their way to fill key posts. They fear that if the remaining workforce is able to meet the increased demands in the short term by doing multiple jobs, 'it'll just reinforce the idea that we didn't need any of these positions,' they said, 'but in the long term, the amount of damage it's going to do is real concern to me.' 'The disconnect between what they're saying and what they're doing – it's a gulf,' they said. Another bureau handling counterterrorism was significantly impacted by the reorganization. Some of its functions are being moved to other parts of the State Department, like bureaus that focus on regional or multilateral issues. Those bureaus may not prioritize counterterrorism, officials warn. Other functions are being eliminated entirely. The office that focused on countering violent extremism had all of its workforce fired. This included those working to reintegrate foreign terrorist fighters in places like Syria or targeting racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism, such as White supremacist groups. 'Given how this administration loves designating new groups as terrorist organizations, you'd think that counterterrorism would've been relatively safe, but it was instead gutted,' another former State Department official said, noting that what remains will be a 'watered down' version without the ability to develop strategic plans. The first former State Department official said that although terrorist designations will continue, the pivot to naming Latin American drug cartels as terrorist groups will increase the workload of those who make such designations. On energy diplomacy, former officials say there is another disconnect. Rubio earlier this year testified before Congress that energy will 'be at the forefront of policy for the next 100 years.' He said one of the reasons for that is that artificial intelligence requires tremendous energy, which means there will be 'strategic opportunities' for nations. 'We need to be at the table to have conversations about not just what our role in energy is but how we help invest or partner with countries that have a supply of energy,' Rubio said. Rubio acknowledged that the Bureau of Energy Resources would be rolled into the economic bureau at the department as part of the restructuring. However, another former State Department official who was fired from that office said that the number of people working on energy diplomacy at the department will decrease from about 100 people to 35 people and handicap the department's ability to deliver on an administration priority. 'Not showing up at international energy conferences will be one repercussion. That means losing out on real business deals. At those meetings we bring the asks of US companies to raise with senior officials from other countries. And at these conferences there is major Chinese participation. If the countries don't talk to us, they talk to China,' the former official said. Meanwhile, anger is mounting within the department over the cuts and the way they were handled. At one employee town hall for one of the impacted bureaus Tuesday, hundreds of anonymous – and angry – questions and comments poured in. 'Colleagues were RIF'd based solely on the position held on a certain day, merit played no role. How do you plan to regain our trust going forward?' one asked. 'It's hard to hear you ask for patience and team effort, when you decimated our teams and it does NOT sound like there was any advocacy involved to protect us,' another said. During the town hall those questions from anonymous State Department employees were public for participants to see, but the leadership answering questions largely ignored them before ending the session, officials explained. A number of townhalls for various branches of the State Department have been held in the days since Friday's mass firings.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Suffers Major Polling Blow Over Jeffrey Epstein Files
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has been hit with a negative poll about his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. According to a Quinnipiac University poll, the majority of U.S. voters disapprove of Trump's handling of files related to Epstein, a wealthy financier who died by suicide in jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges. Why It Matters Trump has been embroiled in controversy after backtracking on the Epstein case. Initially, the White House had ordered a review of the case and said it would publish names and evidence about Epstein's associates. However, a recent memo from the Department of Justice and the FBI said there was no "client list" and that no further charges would be brought. Amid the backlash, Trump has called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release "whatever she thinks is credible" regarding Epstein. While the president has repeatedly called on his supporters to move past what he describes as the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax," the controversy has continued, and negative polling could affect the Republican Party in the 2026 midterms. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House after signing the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act on July 16. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House after signing the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act on July 16. AP Photo/Evan Vucci What To Know According to the poll of 1,290 registered voters, 63 percent disapproved of the administration's handling of the files, while 17 percent approved. The disapproval is more pronounced among Democrats, with 83 percent disapproving. Meanwhile, 36 percent of Republicans disapproved of the administration's handling of the case. The poll, conducted between July 10 and 14, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. Other polls similarly showed public discontent with the Trump administration's handling of the case. A The Economist/YouGov poll of 1,680 adults found that 79 percent of Americans wanted all documents pertaining to Epstein to be released. Meanwhile, 67 percent believed the government was covering up evidence related to Epstein, including 59 percent of Trump voters. Another poll of 1,164 likely voters, conducted by Rasmussen Reports, found that 56 percent of likely voters did not believe the FBI and DOJ were telling the truth about Epstein, while 21 percent believed the government. What People Are Saying Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey, previously told Newsweek: "The Epstein backlash has the power to hurt Trump badly and will be far and away the largest factor in his latest polling slip. Releasing the Epstein Files is the Holy Grail for the MAGA base. Trump told them he was going to do so in the run-up to the presidential election, and they believed him. "They took it on faith that he was not involved in Epstein's underage sex activities and that there were dark forces at play in Epstein's death. The release of the files was going to expose the actions of their political opponents and place the president atop a moral high horse. But that hasn't happened, and some within MAGA are definitely questioning Trump's role and wondering what he has to hide." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday: "Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bull****,' hook, line, and sinker. They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the attorney general will release more information related to the case.
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
'Full Access to Indonesia' Means Another Big Boeing (NYSE:BA) Buy
If Kelly Ortberg is not preparing a fruit basket or something for President Donald Trump, it would be a sign of remarkable ingratitude. Because Trump once again proved himself the best sales rep that Ortberg never hired. Aerospace stock Boeing (BA) actually managed to slip fractionally in Tuesday afternoon's trading despite a hefty new sale in Indonesia. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. President Trump once again brought a major win to Boeing's doorstep, as a recent deal set between the United States and Indonesia meant a 19% tariff rate for Indonesia, a 0% tariff rate on American goods going into the country, and a deal for 50 new jets for Boeing. The details were kept somewhat quiet, but President Trump noted that 'many' of the Boeing planes purchased would be 777s. Given that the 777X is not yet certified, Indonesia must be prepared to wait a while to get their hands on these. Beyond that, the early numbers released suggest that the $18 billion trade surplus Indonesia has with the United States would be effectively gone as a result. But How Many 787s Can They Make? While Indonesia is waiting on its 777s, Boeing is considering production rates on its 787 lineup. And Boeing has very ambitious plans to produce the widebody jet, increasing production on them to 16 a month. This is just for one plant, as well. Specifically, the Charleston, South Carolina plant, which by itself would produce somewhere around double its previous production. The previous record production pace was 14 a month, and that rate was split between Charleston and the Everett plant in Washington state. Thus, depending on the exact rate of the split, which was unavailable, Charleston may be on track to double production outright. This would require an upgrade, as Charleston can only handle 12 787s a month, based on an analysis from 2020. But back in December, Boeing announced plans to drop a full billion dollars on upgrades for the Charleston plant. And given that Boeing wants to hit that 16-a-month target rate by 2030, the upgrade may come just in time. Is Boeing a Good Stock to Buy Right Now? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on BA stock based on 18 Buys, two Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 24.43% rally in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $233.25 per share implies 1.79% upside potential.
