Pompeo can make the State Department great again

For over a year, the State Department has found itself on the sidelines of the policymaking process. The secretary of state never earned the trust of the diplomats he was meant to lead, and the department came to be viewed as the opposition by a White House that is deeply skeptical of the establishment.

But with Rex Tillerson gone and Mike Pompeo on the way in, the State Department is set to regain its relevance. Pompeo is in a unique position to right the ship partly because has more influence with President Trump. Even more importantly, though, Pompeo is set to fix problems inside the State Department and repair the trust issues between the White House and Foggy Bottom.

Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement that Pompeo will be more effective on the world stage because foreign leaders will know he speaks for Trump. Graham also pointed out that as CIA director, Pompeo has been busily circling the globe and establishing relationships that he will now be able to call on as America’s top diplomat.

Read the full article in The Washington Post.