Foreign Service Association Warns Officers About Criticizing Trump Administration [View all]

[octoberlib]

WASHINGTON — In the wake of warnings from the White House that career diplomats should resign if they do not support President Trump’s policy agenda, the organization representing the nation’s foreign service officers Tuesday warned its members to not post on unapproved negative comments about the administration’s policies on their personal social media pages.

In an email to members, the American Foreign Service Association noted that it “has been flooded in recent days with questions from our members about what is and is not allowed regarding the expression of disagreement” with the administration’s policies.

Spokespersons for AFSA, which represents current and former foreign service officers at the State Department, USAID and other agencies, did not respond to a request for comment. But sources familiar with the situation said the email is unprecedented and reflects the growing anxiety career members of the executive branch feel about the new administration’s hostility towards dissent.
The email comes after about 900 State Department employees signed a memo expressing their discontent with President Donald Trump’s immigration order, Reuters reported.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/foreign-service-association-warns-officers-about-criticizing?utm_term=.bgelQnv40#.ukVk9XM8D