washington trump administration accept resignations two top state department officials effective friday step entirely within new president right abrupt departure diplomats officials say thursday secretary management patrick kennedy act secretary state arm control international security thomas countryman plan leave post friday officials say turnover rule rather exception among top officials u.s. government white house change hand one party another case democrat barack obama republican donald trump first week office trump illustrate stark policy differences obama trade immigration monday trump formally withdraw unite state trans-pacific partnership trade deal wednesday order construction wall border mexico threaten punish u.s. cities shield illegal immigrants political appointees choose president confirm senate oblige usual trump nov. election victory submit letter resignation give new president opportunity name people job kennedy countryman recently tell resignations accept effective friday leave bureaus one handle department management oversee arm control hand junior officials gregory starr assistant secretary state diplomatic security michele bond assistant secretary consular affairs also leave officials say though clear circumstances whether ask step friday trump nominee secretary state former exxon mobil corp chairman rex tillerson yet confirm full senate leave agency hand number three official secretary state political affairs thomas shannon departures discuss state department thursday morning meet cause unease part least two officials ask go friday two weeks notice say one official speak condition anonymity however department stress turnover norm new political party come power officer whose resignations accept continue foreign service position others retire choice exceed time limit grade service act state department spokesman mark toner say statement provide detail breakdown whose resignations accept leave least one media report suggest departures amount mass resignation several u.s. officials say case mass protest show indignation say one senior u.s. official former senior obama administration official say plan national security council mass resignation recent conversations trump inner circle view productive encourage state department departures amount huge brain drain former official say add collective experience would difficult recover however current state department official reject view say kennedy particular see institution could certainly replace everybody act like big apocalypse large shoe fill culture state department change move around every years say official like build go fall apart several senior state department officials leave post officials