The State Department after Mike Pompeo: What’s going to happen?

In the coming months, State Department employees could wake up to news that a new leader has taken control of the federal agency. Let’s hope it’s a better head diplomat who takes over.

Potential replacements for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are already angling for the position, according to the Washington Post. If Pompeo does confirm widespread speculation and exit the Trump administration, we could be treated to the spectacle of another inter-administration dogfight for one of the most coveted and prestigious jobs in government.

Pompeo, of course, hasn’t stated outright that he plans to leave the State Department to return to the legislature and run for a Senate seat in Kansas. But it looks likely.

The constant trips to Kansas, interviews with local reporters, and the creation of a personal Twitter account with fun-loving pictures of his dog and family on Christmas Day are perfect preludes to a run for public office. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn’t hidden his preferences either: He would much rather have Pompeo as the Republican nominee for a tight Senate race in Kansas than a fringe figure such as Kris Kobach.

For those of us who have largely considered Pompeo’s tenure at the State Department to be a disaster, the rumors of the Kansan perhaps packing his bags and returning to the political fold are undoubtedly good news. If Pompeo actually exits, President Trump will be presented with an opportunity to fill the role with a candidate who actually takes the business of diplomacy seriously.

The problem with Pompeo, going beyond his poor judgment on Iran, Venezuela, and workforce etiquette in the State Department, is that he never really transitioned from a political brawler to a statesman. Pompeo is a political animal at his core. He may very well be remembered as one of the most politicized secretaries of states we have ever had.

The other half of this story, arguably the more important part, is who would take Pompeo’s place.

And on that score, the reported list of candidates is exceedingly depressing. Rumored nominees such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and State Department Iran envoy Brian Hook would all be disastrous for what many of us realists are itching for: a U.S. foreign policy that prizes common sense over maximalist, unachievable, pie-in-the-sky objectives. If any of these three were to take over the State Department, you can forget about a deal with Iran, a more grounded relationship with Moscow, or a policy in Venezuela that actually has a chance at ushering in a peaceful resolution to the country’s political turmoil.

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, the highest-ranking gay official in the Trump administration, is also rumored to be among the contenders. As an ambassador, Grenell deserves credit for being tough on Europe and pressing them to stop free-riding on our military and to take their own national defenses more seriously. But Grenell’s antics and rhetoric have made him an unpopular figure across much of the continent. (This probably would be an asset in Trump’s mind.) So, it’s questionable whether Grenell could be effective as America’s top diplomat given the baggage he has accrued throughout his ambassadorship.

For those of us in favor of a restrained and realistic foreign policy, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun is probably the most promising candidate on the rumored short list. It’s true Biegun hasn’t had much luck persuading the North Koreans to negotiate away their nuclear weapons program, but this lack of success has more to do with the fantasy of the objective rather than Biegun’s competence and ability.

He is a serious thinker who has scored points within realist foreign policy circles for his sober, level-headed view of the world. He is also a professional who respects the art of diplomacy and is likely to protect the State Department from the sort of petty politics that dominates daily life in Washington.

Biegun would be a good fit for the job. But let’s hope whoever Trump nominates to succeed Pompeo actually possesses a desire to bring diplomacy, not partisan politics, back to the State Department.

Daniel DePetris (@DanDePetris) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. His opinions are his own.

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