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'Disturbing': Antony Blinken under fire over 'cry sessions' for State Department employees after Trump win
Antony Blinken is facing severe criticism for allegedly hosting “cry sessions” therapy for staff members who were upset with Donald Trump's election victory.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is facing severe criticism for allegedly hosting “cry sessions” therapy for staff members who were upset with Donald Trump's election victory.
Just a few days after Trump's win against Kamala Harris, a document titled “managing stress during change” was delivered to department workers on November 11, which sparked the first reports of the meetings.
In an open letter to Blinken, who is more likely to be replaced by Marco Rubio in January, California Congressman Darrell Issa slammed the State Department for the “disturbing” reported counseling sessions after Trump's win.
“I am concerned that the Department is catering to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy through the provision of government-funded mental health counseling because Kamala Harris was not elected President of the United States,” Trump supporter Issa wrote in a letter to Blinken last week.
Issa described the email as a “personal meltdown over the result of a free and fair election.”
It stated that while change is a constant in everyone's lives, it can frequently cause “stress and uncertainty”.
This event will offer helpful advice and doable tactics for stress management and wellbeing maintenance during these trying times, the email added.
Over the course of three days, at least two meetings were scheduled to discuss the subject.
Republicans seek Blinken's response
The Republican lawmaker recognised the importance of the organisation's staff's mental health, but Issa inquired about the use of public funds to provide counseling to people who are upset about the election outcomes. He demanded information on the number of sessions that have been held and the department's expenses.
Issa also expressed concerns that the meetings would cast doubt on some State Department staff members' readiness to implement Trump's new plan for the organisation.
“The mere fact that the Department is hosting these sessions raises significant questions about the willingness of its personnel to implement the lawful policy priorities that the American people elected President Trump to pursue and implement,” the letter read.
Foreign service personnel should step down and look for a political job in the upcoming Democratic administration if they are unable to carry out the American people's wishes, as the Trump Administration has been mandated to reform foreign policy completely, it concluded.
