Francis Fukuyama says Trump relies on personal associates over career diplomats, weakening merit-based state institutions

What was said

"We're doing that right now. You know, instead of professional diplomats handling our Middle East policy, you get Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, you know, two friends and family of uh Donald Trump, and you're paying the price for it because a modern state really does need kind of meritocratic, you know, impersonal uh people running the state apparatus."

Francis Fukuyama argues that modern states require meritocratic, impersonal administration, but says the US is sliding back towards favouring leaders’ personal networks. As an example, he cites Middle East policy being handled by figures such as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff rather than professional diplomats, and says the public “pays the price” for that shift.