The Biden-Harris State Department organized an in-house therapy session for employees early Friday following Donald Trump’s election victory, four sources with knowledge of the meeting told the Washington Free Beacon.
"Managing stress during change," read an internal State Department email sent across the agency that encouraged employees to attend a one-hour session in which they could discuss their feelings about Tuesday’s election results. The department’s Employee Consultation Services in the Bureau of Medical Services hosted the session, according to a copy of the email notice described by sources to the Free Beacon.
"Change is a constant in our lives, but it can often bring about stress and uncertainty," the email said. "Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times. This session will provide tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well being."
The session was led by a licensed clinical provider. A second one is scheduled for Nov. 13, according to the email notice.
The State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, which oversees American diplomacy in the war-torn Middle East, also held a group discussion Friday with assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf and acting undersecretary for political affairs John Bass, according to three sources briefed on the matter.
One source described the meeting as a "cry session" over Trump’s victory, which is likely to usher in wholesale change at Foggy Bottom. Officials in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs have been working for months to sanction the Jewish government and withhold critical arms shipments, alleging Israel is not doing enough to provide humanitarian aid in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. They are said to have discussed the difficulty of Trump’s victory and urged employees to share their feelings in private settings.
"For four years, within the rank and file, there has been an over emphasis on people's feelings, often with a college campus-like fervor, rather than the work of advancing America's interests," one U.S. official with knowledge of the meetings told the Free Beacon.
"This meeting was hopefully the last gasp of that," the source said, adding that there is "lots to unf—k" at the State Department after four years of the Biden-Harris administration.
A second source briefed on the private discussions said they suggest "the State Department is filled with partisan Democrats who are unwilling or unable to faithfully serve in the Trump administration."
The State Department did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Under Secretary of State Antony Blinken's leadership, the State Department has led the Biden-Harris administration's drive to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Blinken formed the department's Office of Diversity and Inclusion in February 2021, shortly after a White House order instructed the entire federal government to ramp up DEI initiatives. The State Department’s top DEI officials pull in nearly $200,000 annually in taxpayer-funded salaries, the Free Beacon reported in September.
The State Department also held in-house therapy sessions in May 2023, after a system-wide email glitch assigned random and often incorrect pronouns to employees.
The agency urged "any employee who feels hurt or upset as a result of this unfortunate mistake" to use its mental health services, the Free Beacon reported at the time.