U.S. ambassador to Panama resigns, says cannot serve Trump

T TV Saturday 13/January/2018 15:43 PM
By: Times News Service

U.S. Ambassador to Panama John Feeley, a career diplomat and former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, has resigned, saying he no longer felt able to serve President Donald Trump.
U.S. officials say it was not in response to Trump's alleged use of the word "shithole" to describe Haiti and African countries at a meeting on Thursday. Nathan Frandino reports.
His career spanned 27 years and included stints in Mexico and Colombia.
But last month, U.S. Ambassador to Panama John Feeley submitted his resignation, blaming President Donald Trump for his departure.
According to an excerpt from his resignation letter seen by Reuters on Friday, the former Marine Corps helicopter pilot said he signed an oath to serve the president in an apolitical fashion but believed he could no longer do so.
It's not known if any particular incident sparked his decision.
The State Department has confirmed Feeley's resignation, but says the decision stemmed from personal reasons. Feeley is expected to leave his post on March 9th.