His brief speech, delivered to about 30 agency staff, was a veiled acknowledgement of turning the page on the combative tenure of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
“I know the State Department that I’m walking into is not the same one I left four years ago,” Blinken said while paying tribute to the 47 State Department staff who have died from COVID-19 and acknowledging barriers and fencing that went up following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
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As part of President Biden’s push to promote unity after the stark divisions of the Trump era, Blinken implored State Department staff and told them they have a role to play amid his push to rebuild morale and trust.