Trump skewered Hillary Clinton over Benghazi. But he still hasn't appointed an official to oversee diplomatic security.


President Trump has not yet nominated a State Department official to oversee the security of diplomats abroad, despite having often skewered Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail for leaving Ambassador Chris Stevens vulnerable in Benghazi when she was serving as secretary of state. "I guess we should all be immune to hypocrisy in politics at some point," Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) told Politico. "But I just continue to worry, not only in terms of this position, but most of the agencies are just empty at this point because they've not put people up."
Ambassadorships aside, Trump has only nominated two people to senior management positions at the State Department: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his deputy, John Sullivan. That leaves over three dozen senior spots unfilled. "Unfortunately, I think it's indicative of the low priority that Trump and the administration are placing on diplomacy or anything to do with the State Department," said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).
Even Republicans are concerned about the absence of a dedicated official to head the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. "The State Department has security professionals who are up to the job, but we do need all hands on deck given the many evolving threats we face," Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) told Politico. "I hope a nominee for assistant secretary will be put forward soon."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The official would be tasked with protecting U.S. embassies and other diplomatic locations across 160 countries. There were 22 "significant attacks" against diplomatic facilities in 2015.
"The safety and security of U.S. personnel overseas remains our highest priority," stressed Republican Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.). "We expect a number of nominations for the department in the coming days, and we hope the administration will prioritize naming a permanent head of the bureau as soon as possible."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling