'A diplomatic mess': Trump's special envoys set to cause confusion

President-elect Donald Trump sparred with the State Department in his first term, and this time, he may have a way to work around the diplomatic corps.

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump didn’t hide his disdain for the State Department in his first term, dismissing it as the "Deep State Department," a nickname that implied a cabal of career diplomats were subverting his foreign policy goals.

In the new term that starts Monday, Trump may have come up with a workaround, empowering a series of special envoys whose main responsibilities are whatever missions he gives them to carry out.

The arrangement jibes with Trump’s larger goal of stocking important government jobs with people he deems loyal to his agenda.

But the fast-growing latticework of special envoys, ambassadors and foreign policy professionals creates the potential for duplication that may confuse foreign capitals about who’s really running things, critics contend.

In Britain alone, no fewer than three incoming officials may be able to rightly claim they have Trump's ear or know his thinking.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-special-envoys-confusion-rcna186448

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