The US ambassador to Panama has resigned, saying that he no longer felt able to serve President Donald Trump.

John Feeley, 56, a career diplomat and former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, announced his resignation in a letter to the state department.

"As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies," he wrote, in a letter obtained by Reuters.

"My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come."

Mr Feeley becomes the first ambassador to resign over concerns about Mr Trump's leadership.

His resignation was made public hours after Mr Trump's comments on "s-------" nations were made public, but a senior state department official told The Telegraph that Mr Feeley's decision was made before the remarks.

“Ambassador Feeley informed leadership of his decision on December 27, 2017," the state department said.

The spokesman added that the deputy chief of mission, Roxanne Cabral, will assume leadership of the diplomatic mission until a new ambassador arrives.

The state department said that he "has informed the White House, the Department of State, and the Government of Panama of his decision to retire for personal reasons, as of March 9 of this year."</s>The US Ambassador to Panama has resigned because he no longer comfortable taking directions from President Donald Trump.

John D. Feeley, who has served as the United States’ top diplomat in Panama since January 15, 2016, will not officially leave his role until March 9, but the State Department confirmed his upcoming departure Friday, saying that the ambassador is retiring for “personal reasons.” NBC News and Reuters, however, are reporting that the resignation stems from the Obama appointee’s growing dissatisfaction with Trump.

“As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies,” Feeley wrote in a resignation letter obtained by Reuters. “My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come.”

Initial reports of the ambassador’s resignation connected it to Thursday’s revelation, first reported by the Washington Post, that the president had dismissed countries as “shithole[s]” in a meeting with lawmakers. However, Feeley had submitted his resignation letter prior to Trump’s remarks.

The shockwaves from the “shithole” comments continue to be felt far beyond DC. The UN’s office on human rights issued a statement condemning the comments; Haiti has summoned the US ambassador in Port-au-Prince, who early called the comments “regrettable,” to explain; and Botswana has asked the United States to clarify if it is a “shithole country.”

Though the president denied the report in a tweet Friday morning, it has been confirmed by subsequent reporting. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who was present when Trump allegedly made the comments, has said the reports are accurate. “He said these hate-filled things.”</s>US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley said he could no longer feels able to serve President Donald Trump.</s>United States Ambassador to Panama John Feeley has resigned from his post, citing irreconcilable differences with the Trump administration, Reuters reported on Friday.

Feeley, a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot and a Latin America specialist, said that he felt that he was no longer able to serve under United States President Donald Trump. “As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies,” Feeley said, according to an excerpt of a resignation letter read to Reuters on Friday.

He added: “My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come.” Feeley will step down on March 9.

Feeley had told State Department officials about stepping down on December 27, 2017, and so, it is not a direct response to Trump’s alleged use of the word “shithole” to describe certain nations, officials said.

Trump had reportedly used the word to refer to third-world nations from Africa, along with Haiti and El Salvador, when senators in his office were discussing means to protect immigrants in the United States. Trump interrupted the meeting and said, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump later denied using the word.</s>U.S. Ambassador To Panama Resigns, Saying He Can't Serve Trump

John Feeley, the U.S. ambassador to Panama, is stepping down from his post, citing irreconcilable differences with the Trump administration, Reuters reports.

Feeley's resignation, widely reported on Friday, is not a response to President Trump's remarks Thursday at a noon meeting about immigration. Sources tell NPR that at that meeting, Trump referred to African nations as "shithole countries" and questioned why the U.S. admits immigrants from Haiti. Trump denies reports about his remarks, which have prompted uproar around the world.

However, the ambassador to Panama had tendered his resignation by Thursday morning, before the meeting occurred, a State Department official tells NPR's Michele Kelemen.

Feeley, a career diplomat, informed the White House, the State Department and the Panamanian government "of his decision to retire for personal reasons, as of March 9 of this year," the State Department says.

Steve Goldstein, the undersecretary for diplomacy, told Michele that all ambassadors and other diplomats have the right to be in the job they chose and that it is up to them if they leave for moral reasons, or any other reason.

Reuters has more detail on Feeley's stated explanation of his resignation:

"Feeley, one of the department's Latin America specialists and among its [most senior] officers, made clear that he had come to a place where he no longer felt able to serve under Trump. " 'As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies,' Feeley said, according to an excerpt of a resignation letter read to Reuters on Friday. " 'My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come.' "

Editor's note: NPR has decided in this case to spell out the vulgar word that the president reportedly used because it meets our standard for use of offensive language: It is "absolutely integral to the meaning and spirit of the story being told."</s>(WCBD/NBC News) — The U.S. Ambassador to Panama has resigned from his post, saying he can no longer serve under President Trump.

“John Feeley resigned his position because he feels he cannot “comfortably” serve under Trump,” according to MSNBC.

“As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies. My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come,” Feeley said in his resignation letter, according to Reuters.

A State Department spokeswoman confirmed Feeley’s departure, saying that he “has informed the White House, the Department of State, and the Government of Panama of his decision to retire for personal reasons, as of March 9 of this year.”

Feeley’s resignation comes after President Trump reportedly referred to Haiti and African countries as “shithole countries” in a meeting with lawmakers on Thursday.

Feeley is the first U.S. diplomat to resign over the president’s comments.</s>Washington: US 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.

Feeley's departure had been communicated to State Department officials on 27 December and was not a response to Trump's alleged use of the word "shithole" to describe Haiti and African countries at a meeting on Thursday, US officials said.

Feeley, one of the department's Latin America specialists and among its senior most officers, made clear that he had come to a place where he no longer felt able to serve under Trump.

"As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies," Feeley said, according to an excerpt of a resignation letter read to Reuters on Friday.

“My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honour bound to resign. That time has come.”

A State Department spokeswoman confirmed Feeley's departure, saying that he "has informed the White House, the Department of State, and the Government of Panama of his decision to retire for personal reasons, as of 9 March of this year."

Speaking to reporters, Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein said he was aware of Feeley's planned departure on Thursday morning, before Trump's alleged use of the vulgar term, and said the ambassador was leaving for "personal reasons."

"Everyone has a line that they will not cross," Goldstein told reporters at the State Department. "If the ambassador feels that he can no longer serve ... then he has made the right decision for himself and we respect that."

US officials declined to discuss Feeley's reasons for leaving the department after a long career, much of which was spent working on Latin American issues.

Some of Trump's policies have been widely regarded within the region as hostile to Latin America.

The Trump administration has taken a tougher stance on immigration from Latin America, most notably with moves to expel hundreds of thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti and Nicaragua who benefited from temporary protection status after natural disasters.

Feeley's career included serving as the number 2 official in the State Department bureau that deals with Latin America, as deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Mexico City and as director for Central American affairs in Washington.</s>The U.S. ambassador to Panama resigned Friday, saying that he could no longer “faithfully” serve the president.

Notice of John Feeley’s resignation came a day after Trump referred to Caribbean and African nations as “shithole countries.”

The U.S. State Department confirmed Feeley’s departure from the post, saying that he decided to “retire for personal reasons, as of 9 March this year,” according to Reuters.

Feeley explained in his resignation later that he “signed an oath to serve faithfully the President and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies.”</s>Goldstein said, 'If the ambassador feels that he can no longer serve, then he has made the right decision for himself and we respect that.'

Steve Goldstein said Feeley's departure was not a response to Trump's alleged use of the word "shithole" to describe Haiti and African countries. (Photo: AP)

Washington: US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley, a career diplomat and former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, has resigned, telling the State Department he no longer feels able to serve President Donald Trump.

"As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies," Feeley said, according to an excerpt of his resignation letter read to Reuters on Friday.

"My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come." Feeley added.

A State Department spokeswoman confirmed Feeley's departure, saying that he "has informed the White House, the Department of State, and the Government of Panama of his decision to retire for personal reasons, as of March 9 of this year."

Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein said Feeley's departure was not a response to Trump's alleged use of the word "shithole" to describe Haiti and African countries at a meeting on Thursday. Trump denies using the term.

Speaking to reporters, Goldstein said that he was aware of Feeley's planned departure 24 in advance, before Trump's alleged use of the term, and said his understanding was that the ambassador had resigned for "personal reasons."

"Everyone has a line that they will not cross. If the ambassador feels that he can no longer serve ... then he has made the right decision for himself and we respect that." Goldstein told reporters at the State Department.</s>The US ambassador to Panama has resigned saying he can he can no longer serve under Donald Trump.

John Feeley said he could no longer serve President Trump in an "apolitical fashion" as he quit his post.

In a resignation letter, he said: "As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies.

"My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come," according to an excerpt reported by Reuters.

The US State Department confirmed Mr Feeley decided to "retire for personal reasons, as of March 9 of this year."

Feeley racked up 35 years of public service as an officer in the Marine Corps and as a diplomat for the Department of State.

He focused most of his time in his position on the integration of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

He was nominated by President Obama to be Panama's US ambassador in July 2015 and was approved by the Senate in December that year.

He was sworn into office on January 15, 2016 and assumed office in early February.

In the same note from the Embassy, ​​Feeley took the opportunity to thank the Panamanian people for the relationship of respect and mutual collaboration.

Roxanna Cabral, Minister Counselor of the Embassy, will replace Mr Feeley until an official replacement is appointed.
The United States Ambassador to Panama, John D. Feeley, resigns saying he can no longer serve under Trump administration.