Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, under fire from former U.S. diplomats for slashing the State Department amid multiple crises around the world, told CBS News' "60 Minutes" there was "no dismantling" and the U.S.'s "foreign policy objectives continue to be met."
"Well, there's been no dismantling at all of the State Department," Tillerson told Margaret Brennan during a wide-ranging interview after she asked how he could explain the lack of ambassadors in 41 embassies, including South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
"We've got terrific – people, both foreign service officers, civil servants, that have stepped into those roles around the world."
Brennan pointed out those were only on an interim basis, to which Tillerson replied: "It is an interim basis. So clearly, it is not with the same kind of support that I wish everyone had. But our foreign policy objectives continue to be met."
On why some of those embassies do not even have nominees, Tillerson said some were "in the process."
"It's not a question of people being . . . are neglecting the importance of it. It's just the nature of the process itself," he added.
President Donald Trump's administration last Monday requested $39.3 billion for the State Department and USAID for the 2019 fiscal year, a 30 percent cut from 2017. Tillerson has backed the president, saying the budget is concerned with "prioritizing the efficient use of taxpayer resources."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.