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Government

Foggy Bottom Foreign Service Pogs 'Butt Hurt' over POTUS 'Payroll Cut' Comment

2017-08-11

[ABC] Current and former U.S. diplomats reacted to President Trump's comments thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling U.S. embassy workers with dismay.

"As far as I'm concerned I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll," Trump said at a briefing at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Thursday.

"We'll save a lot of money," he added.

It's unclear if the U.S. would save any money because of the expulsion. Any diplomats removed from Russia would be sent to posts elsewhere around the world.

The Russian order to expel 755 U.S. diplomats last month came in response to new sanctions imposed by the U.S. A diplomatic row over Russian interference in the 2016 election began last year after President Obama ordered the seizure of two diplomatic facilities used by Russia in the U.S. and the expulsion of 35 diplomats and their families.

One of those compounds, in rural Maryland outside of Washington, was said to be used for espionage, according to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

A State Dept. official who is a foreign service officer told ABC News the message from Trump thanking Putin is "really quite sad."

Posted by:Besoeker

#15 re:Mongols and stay at homes.

If the requirement to return home to select a new Khan wasn't followed, most of Central Europe would have ended up like Russia. Instead, Subutai and the horde about faced near Vienna to return to Karakorum.

re: assimilation

2003 found eight percent of men in 16 different Asian populations (0.5 percent of the global male population) shared nearly identical Y-chromosome sequences. Further DNA evidence traced their lineage to Mongolia about 1,000 years ago, which corresponds pretty closely with Genghis's reign.

It works both ways.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-08-11 21:45

#14 Maybe some moved to Atlanta and adopted nyms like 'Clyde Mussolini'?

Posted by: Pappy 2017-08-11 17:17

#13 Gee, whatever happened to that poll of Federal hacks, 25% of whom said they'd quit if Trump became president? It didn't quite work out that way, did it?

Posted by: Raj 2017-08-11 13:30

#12 Gee, g(r)om what do you against Ulan Bator? BTW, those are the people who knew how to deal with both the Russians and Chinese.

I don't agree to your point*. But if we accept it for the sake of the argument - who's better to deal with USDS staffers?

*
(i) These are the people who stayed behind.
(ii) One can argue that Mongols shaped Russian national character.
(iii) Chinese absorbed Mongols in 2 generations.

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-08-11 12:11

#11 I think he should stay and work in the White House, in August, whie the AC is being repaired. Or at least Clyde should.

Posted by: Glenmore 2017-08-11 12:07

#10 Pappy, you didn't mention FLOTUS' multiple grand tours of the world.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-08-11 12:06

#9 ..or their 'funemployment' term for unemployed?

Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-08-11 12:05

#8 How did you 'feel' about his predecessor's vacations?

Posted by: Pappy 2017-08-11 11:19

#7 That's should help pay for the secret services daily $13,000 golf cart budget, trump tower rent, and expenses he's wasting getting sun in Florida. No one expects anything less from the elite class. Good job, Mr President. Now let's hear that apologists.

Posted by: Clyde Mussolini1716 2017-08-11 10:34

#6 Since the secretary of state has frozen hiring until his goal of cutting staff by a certain percent (I think 7%, but I'm not sure) through attrition is achieved, the number of local staff let go will offset the same number of Americans who would otherwise be encouraged to leave. I think we're seeing posturing for effect.

Posted by: trailing wife 2017-08-11 10:26

#5 It's unclear if the U.S. would save any money because of the expulsion.

Since most of them were local hires, the US will save quite a bit of money. The FSB budget, on the other hand, is under a sudden strain.

Posted by: Gomez Slesh2786 2017-08-11 10:04

#4 Gee, g(r)om what do you against Ulan Bator? BTW, those are the people who knew how to deal with both the Russians and Chinese.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-08-11 10:04

#3 He was being facetious, you dumbasses.

Posted by: DarthVader 2017-08-11 09:11

#2 Just remember...seriously not literally.

Posted by: AlanC 2017-08-11 09:01

#1 It's unclear if the U.S. would save any money because of the expulsion. Any diplomats removed from Russia would be sent to posts elsewhere around the world.

I hear Ulan Bator is lovely this time of year.

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-08-11 08:43

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