(Bloomberg) -- Amid uncertainty spurred by President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory and his pledges to root out members of the “deep state,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised his department’s employees as “patriots” who serve the country’s interests at home and abroad.
In a message to the State Department workforce obtained by Bloomberg News, Blinken wrote that he would advise his successor that the department’s “principled, dedicated service immeasurably improves the lives of Americans and people across the globe.”
Pointing out that he has played a role in every presidential transition for the past three decades, Blinken wrote: “A core pillar of any democracy, including our own, is for people to accept the results of legitimate elections, even when they disagree with them.”
The outgoing Biden administration is committed to ensuring an orderly transition, he added, writing: “A core pillar of any democracy, including our own, is for people to accept the results of legitimate elections, even when they disagree with them.”
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