Спасибо Путину

[tijd]

Вопреки ожиданиям Трамп не делал никаких заявлений после того, как Путин в ответ на санкции распорядился выгнать сотни американских дипломатов из России.

Журналисты спрашивали об этом на официальном брифинге Белого Дома в конце июля:

Q And why hasn’t the President taken the opportunities he's had today -- several public opportunities -- to say something in response to Vladimir Putin's retaliation with the 755 diplomats? Why hasn’t he taken the opportunity to say something forceful to President Putin? I mean, I've talked to folks today who said it's kind of striking the silence from the President, with no sort of response out of his own mouth. He has a couple of opportunities today to say something about it, and he didn’t.
MS. SANDERS: Right now we're reviewing our options. And when we have something to say on it, we'll let you know.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/07/31/press-briefing-press-secretary-sarah-sanders-treasury-secretary-steven

В начале августа, уже после того, как Трамп подписал закон о санкциях, об этом спрашивали снова.

Q You said on Monday that, when you had something to say about the Russian action on the 755 diplomats, you would say something about it. Do you have anything to say about it today?
MS. SANDERS: No, I don’t. But when I do, I'll let you know.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/08/02/press-briefing-press-secretary-sarah-sanders-and-senior-policy-advisor

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Через 10 дней журналистам предоставилась возможность спросить Трампа напрямую. Его ответ был весьма примечательным. За антиамериканские санкции Трамп рассыпался в благодарностях Путину: "I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll. There’s no real reason for them to go back. I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’re going to save a lot of money."

На местных гражданах, которых американское посольство нанимает в России, можно наверное съэкономить. Но Трамп считает, что и высланных Путиным дипломатов и разведчиков следует немедленно уволить, потому что от них один вред ("there's no real reason for them to go back").



Между тем госсекретарь Тиллерсон продолжает успешно разваливать Госдеп.

Mr. Tillerson was supposed to know that leaders of large organizations should quickly pick a trusted team, focus on big issues, delegate small ones and ask for help from staff members when needed.
He has done none of those things, his critics contend.
Instead, he has failed to nominate anyone to most of the department’s 38 highest-ranking jobs, leaving many critical departments without direction, while working with a few personal aides reviewing many of the ways the department has operated for decades rather than developing a coherent foreign policy.
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/06/us/politics/rex-tillerson-state-department.html

Under Tillerson’s watch, and indeed under his direct purview, the State Department’s core is being gutted. He is running Foggy Bottom the way a corporate raider might take over a company: firing half of its workforce, repurposing its original mission, scaling back its operations across the globe. Offices are being shuttered, while ambassadorial, assistant secretary, and undersecretary posts remain unfilled. Even as North Korea tests intercontinental ballistic missiles, there is no undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security, no permanent assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs or International Security and Nonproliferation, no ambassador to South Korea.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/449267/state-department-crisis-staffing-cuts-incompetent-leadership-threaten-american