President-elect Donald Trump is looking for the State Department to focus its efforts more heavily on counterterrorism, Politico reports.
Such a move could reduce resources aimed at fighting climate change and promoting democracy overseas, according to the website. Sources tell Politico the Trump transition team is convinced the department has not been fully utilized in the fight against terrorism.
In addition, the Trump team believes State is overshadowed by the Pentagon and the White House-based National Security Council, which have led the counterterrorism front, Politico reports.
"State has really been the least useful in terms of the president's day-to-day tool kit for exercising power and meeting challenges," a person familiar with the transition deliberations told the website.
"I think that there's a perception that a lot of the stuff that State does, like promoting the arts and minority groups, the sense is that a lot of that stuff is just pandering to Democratic Party domestic constituencies in the United States. It's not about serving any identifiable American interest."
Another source told Politico: "It's going to be more about terrorism and less about climate change."
The website said a reorganization of State would possibly include beefing up the department's intelligence unit and doing away with several special envoy positions.
The website noted one position that could be eliminated is the special envoy for climate change. Another position that could be facing extinction is the special envoy for LGBT issues.
USA Today reports Rex Tillerson, Trump's nominee to head the state department, has been vocal on where he stands on the war against terrorism.
Confronting radical Islam is "part of winning the war (against radical Islamic terrorism) other than just on the battlefield," Tillerson said.