over her long career, barbara stephenson was u.s.assador to panama, and also held senior postings in europe, latin america and the middle east. she currently serves as president of the american foreign service association, and she joins me now. welcome. >> thank you so much. it's great to be with you. >> tell me why did you put this letter out now. >> you know it came about because a journalist asked us what's up. we knew cuts were coming, thee always been clear so i should be clear about that. secretary tillerson said we would have 8% cuts. he told the senate foreign relations committee in june he would cut the foreign service by 4%, the civil service by 12%. the idea that cuts were coming is not news. a journalist said to me i've been walking through foggy bottom. >> the state department office. >> the state department office. i've been to four retirement ceremonies this last week of september. all women acting assistant secretaries and why is everybody leaving. is this a story or is this just some sort of a weird coincidence. so w

sincerely, ambassador barbara stephenson. we asked her to come talk with us last night. she said no. we asked her to talk with us tonight. she said no. i think she wants to let this speak for itself. although ambassador stephenson, if you're watching, love to have you. time to ask why seems like the right title, though. it seems like it's time to stop being agog at what's happening there and start asking who wants this? when the president travels abroad, our state department is supposed to be at its peak power, making sure the presidential trip abroad doesn't do anything to undermine america's standing or contradict our stated policies or undercut our leadership. when the president goes abroad the president has to look good because the president represents this country and stands for us on other countries' turf. nobody likes to talk about it, but the state department helps manage important foreign trips in part to make sure the president of the united states does not embarrass himself abroad and thereby embarrass and reduce the standing of our country. the president toda

sincerely, ambassador barbara stephenson. we asked her to come talk with us last night. she said no. we asked her to talk with us tonight. she said no. although ambassador stephenson, if you're watching, love to have you. time to ask why seems like the right title, though . it seems like it's time to stop being agog at what's happening and ask who wants this. when the president travels abroad we should be at peak power. when the president goes abroad the president has to look good because the president represents this country and stands for us on other country's turf. nobody likes to talk about it, but the state department helps manage important foreign trips in part to make sure the president of the united states does not embarrass himself abroad and there by embarrass and reduce the standing of our country. the president today was in china. the president's past remarks and therefore his known positions on china are clear. they're hostile, confrontational, belacose. >> china is upset because of the way donald trump is talking about trade with china. they're ripping us o

in a letter to members of the american foreign service association this week, ambassador barbara stephenson writes -- "the talent being shown the door now is not only our top talent, but also talent that cannot be replicated overnight. the rapid loss of so many senior officers has a serious, immediate, and tangible effect on the capacity of the united states to shape world events." a new report on u.s. inenequaliy finds the nation's wealthiest three men hold more wealth than the bottom half of americans, more than 160 million people. the report from the institute for policy studies titled "billionaire b bonanza 2017" fis bill gates, jeff bezos, and warren buffett hold a combined 249 million dollars, while the lowest 20% of u.s. households hold zero or negative wealth. report authors chuck collins and josh hoxie warn -- "over recent decades, an incredibly disproportionate share of america's income and wealth gains has flowed to the top of our economic spectrum." the findings come as senate republicans prepare to unveil their plan to cut taxes -- a bill that's expected to balloon the national

says this is all about cutting costs it's all about not filling the posts as they go along but barbara stephenson who is the ambassador who has raised this issue said you've got to wonder why they're doing this why america is abdicating its position to influence events around the world and who is in touch who is behind that and that will be the important question that perhaps a senate and congress will ask in the days and weeks to come here because it's a big risk isn't it alan even if and as i said it before we know that there is that america first policy but the rest of the world still looks to the united states for global leadership on the big issues and if the state department's not a strong as it was that sends a sends a message to the rest of the world that the united states isn't terribly interested . exactly and the senate has already said look they're concerned that they're up to getting the responsibility on the global stage james mattis who is the defense secretary of course you all know that donald trump refers to him by his all nickname mad dog and the shutters every time that that h