Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has asked his aides to find ways to improve his media profile, a request that comes as U.S. diplomats increasingly worry about the direction of the State Department and whether their new boss has enough influence with President Donald Trump.

A State Department official said Tillerson’s aides have asked staffers at the agency to draft a paper laying out ways he can engage with reporters, who have been given almost no access to the new Cabinet member. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share the information. The State Department’s press office did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment.


That Tillerson is asking for media advice suggests he is concerned about the perception that he is out of the loop on major foreign policy decisions being made by the Trump administration. It’s a perception that extends to the State Department as a whole, in part because the agency has not held its traditional daily press briefing since Trump took office more than a month ago, though on Wednesday it said it was exploring ways to expand access to that gathering when it resumes.

At the same time, there’s no guarantee that Tillerson — a former CEO of ExxonMobil accustomed to keeping reporters far away — will try to be as high-profile as predecessors such as former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. For one thing, reaching out to news organizations carries special risks in the Trump era. The president is highly attentive to his aides’ performance in the media, so a misstep could backfire. But going in front of the cameras also is known to be an important tactic people in the Trump orbit use to get a message across to the TV-loving president.

For Tillerson, there’s an added challenge: Trump’s foreign policy views are mercurial at best, and the two are not always in lockstep on the issues.

Tillerson is “clearly a very talented and able guy,” said Eliot Cohen, a former State official who now teaches at Johns Hopkins University. “The problem is that this is the Trump administration, and one has to surmise that he is not where the president is on some of his zanier days.”

How the department will deal with the media is just one of a slew of questions being asked across the State Department, where career employees are increasingly frustrated by shortages in staffing, cuts in certain divisions and an overall lack of direction from the top.

“We have a hell of a lot of smart people sitting on their hands because there isn’t any policy guidance coming down,” one State source said.

Meanwhile, several dozen Trump-appointed political staffers have arrived in Foggy Bottom, many of whom are still learning the ropes and are wary of engaging with the civil servants.

“It’s like high school,” said the State official familiar with Tillerson’s media request. “The Trump people all sit together at the tables at lunch.”

Many State Department officials remain cautiously optimistic about Tillerson, according to several people interviewed by POLITICO. He impressed the department during his first appearance after his Feb. 1 confirmation, appearing humble and respectful. He has told many people that he wants to hear the opinions of junior-level subject-matter experts, a move sure to endear him to many in the department.

But in the three weeks since, a number of incidents have rattled the diplomatic corps. Most prominently, Trump vetoed Tillerson’s choice for deputy secretary of state — former George W. Bush administration official Elliott Abrams. Trump was reportedly miffed to learn that Abrams had previously spoken critically of the new president. The deputy position has since been left vacant, with little clarity on if or when it will be filled.

“It made people wonder, ‘Is he really empowered?’” one State staffer asked about Tillerson.

Departmental restructuring has since also unnerved some quarters.

Staffers working in the offices of the State Department counselor, which provides policy guidance to the secretary, and that of the deputy secretary for management and resources, were told their services were no longer needed, sources said. Some are likely to be reassigned to other civil service or foreign service jobs, but the abruptness of their dismissal alarmed some observers, and overall it means the top echelons at State will be thinner.

Plenty of people at the State Department expected a restructuring of sorts. But as the days have dragged on with no new deputy nominee in sight, not to mention no nominees for other major posts such as undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and the like, employees are getting restless. “We need more adults in the room,” one said.

By contrast, Clinton’s choices for deputy secretary of state and deputy secretary for management and resources both had their Senate confirmation hearing within a few days of President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

Some State Department officials are even wondering if the lag in nominations is a purposeful way for the White House to sideline them on foreign policy. Already at the White House, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, are believed to have tremendous influence on foreign policy decisions. And Trump is known to have largely ignored the State Department’s offers to brief him ahead of important phone calls with world leaders, some of which have gone awry.

The State Department’s ego has been bruised by how rarely Tillerson has appeared alongside Trump. Sources have told POLITICO that the secretary of state was never consulted when Trump, in an appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, dropped the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. Tillerson also was on a trip to Europe when Netanyahu held a Feb. 15 meeting with Trump in Washington, D.C., missing an opportunity for an important visual.

“He needs to be seen with the president,” one State source said of Tillerson. [Tillerson and Netanyahu had dinner the night before the Israeli leader's meeting with Trump.]

Tillerson is believed to be pushing for two weekly sessions with Trump, but it’s not clear how realistic that goal is. On Wednesday, the secretary met with the president before flying to Mexico City; the White House said there would be no photos made available of the two together.

So far, Tillerson has been very press shy, taking small media and staff contingents on trips. He has yet to hold a news conference and has almost entirely avoided questions from reporters. During an appearance alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Bonn, Germany, reporters were herded out of the room after Lavrov’s opening remarks but just as Tillerson began to speak. The Russian was bewildered, according to reports, asking “Why did they shush them out?”

The lack of a daily news briefing at the State Department also has become a source of frustration among journalists as well as foreign countries, whose embassies and ministries pay close attention to that regular exchange with reporters. When Presidents George W. Bush and Obama first took office, the State Department held a briefing within a few days. The State Department has yet to name a new official spokesman, but it’s not unprecedented for the initial briefings in a new administration to be led by an acting spokesman.

On Wednesday, the department issued a statement promising more openness soon, without giving a date for when the briefings will resume: “In addition to regular press briefings conducted by a Department spokesperson, reporters will soon have access to additional opportunities each week to interact with State Department officials. The department is also exploring the possibility of opening the briefing to reporters outside of Washington, D.C., via remote video capabilities," acting spokesman Mark Toner said.

The White House daily briefing has changed, with press secretary Sean Spicer scuttling traditions, such as giving the first question to The Associated Press, and introducing new elements, such as calling on reporters who are connecting remotely via the internet. Spicer also has given numerous questions to conservative news outlets favorable to Trump.

The State Department briefing is more structured than the White House one, staying on one topic (often a country) until reporters feel ready to move to the next. Observers of the department note that any changes to the format will be considered carefully by foreign capitals as well as reporters.

Many also are watching to see whether the State Department spokesman will face a criticism often leveled at Spicer: that he makes misleading and inaccurate statements. Some observers argue that, when it comes to accuracy, the stakes are in some ways higher for the State Department briefing because U.S. foreign policy is supposed to be nonpartisan, and because journalists in other countries often turn to the U.S. for information when their governments are trying to suppress data.

“Facts are what it’s all about,” said Jen Psaki, a former State Department spokeswoman and communications director for the Obama White House. “It’s really an opportunity for a secretary of state or a staff who are serious policymakers to really project their message, to project U.S. policy.”

At times, the secretary of state makes an appearance during the daily press briefing and takes questions as well. It’s unclear whether Tillerson is willing to put himself in that position anytime soon — the reporters assigned to State are known to be dogged questioners.

For a while, at least, Tillerson may largely stay under the radar, though it is possible he may take some questions during his visit to Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday. But so far, his staff is very cautious about who gets access to him.

The State official familiar with Tillerson’s media request said that one set of doors leading to the secretary of state's office now have a new sign next to them indicating that not only must people use their badges to get in, but that they can’t hold the door open for anyone coming in behind them.

According to the official, the sign reads: “No tailgating.”

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that Tillerson and Netanyahu did meet when the Israeli leader came to Washington.