More than two months into Joe Biden s presidency, former President Donald Trump s choices are still undermining the State Department , frustrating administration officials and victims of Trump-era moves such as his harsh crackdown on immigration .

Bidens own approach to appointing top officials is contributing to the problem, critics say, preventing the State Department from making critical progress.

The president has yet to nominate anyone for the vast majority of posts he needs to fill at the agency, including the 22 assistant secretary positions that oversee State Department bureaus. He isnt expected to tap his first slate of ambassadors until next month a full month later than President Barack Obama. And he has yet to give big jobs or a boost to career State Department employees who felt harassed, demoralized and undervalued under Trump.

There is a whole lot of diplomatic disappointment at the State Department and our embassies, said Brett Bruen, a White House official under Obama and former diplomat.

The Trump administrations reluctance to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election is at the root of the problem, observers say. Because General Services Administration head Emily Murphy waited until nearly three weeks after Election Day to begin cooperating with Bidens transition team, the incoming president was delayed in providing the names of prospective nominees to the FBI for background checks.

The upshot is that the procedure became abnormally long, even for former officials receiving new positions like U.S. Agency for International Development administrator nominee Samantha Power, said a congressional aide who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive confirmation process.

If Biden chose, he could speed up the process by sending more nominations to Capitol Hill so consideration could begin even before their paperwork was fully completed, the aide added, noting that the president hasnt yet identified candidates for many senior posts.

Its frustrating; there is no way around it, the aide said. Putting ascertainment delays aside, we wish there were more positions filled at this point.

Turning Off Talent

The slow pace of staffing the State Department is particularly worrying for two groups of experts on U.S. foreign policy: the agencys career staff, and outside national security analysts hoping to help Biden fulfill his promise to bolster diplomacy and improve Americas handling of global affairs.

Meanwhile, professionals in the foreign and civil service are watching as key roles go to politically connected figures. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is a leading candidate to be the ambassador to China or Japan, for instance, and Cindy McCain the widow of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and one of the few Republicans to endorse Biden is certain to get a plum posting.

Even figures with State Department backgrounds who already have or are expected to get high-profile posts, such as Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Victoria Nuland and Nicholas Burns, have cultivated strong political links apart from serving in government and rising through standard promotion procedures.