Reuters- The United States government is recalling dozens of ambassadors and senior career diplomats to ensure that embassies worldwide align with President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities, a move critics warn could undermine U.S. credibility on the global stage.
The State Department has not released the names of the diplomats affected. A senior official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, described the recalls as “a standard process in any administration,” emphasizing that an ambassador should be considered a “personal representative” of the president. “It is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda,” the official said.
According to people familiar with the matter, nearly 30 senior diplomats stationed in smaller countries—where the top U.S. representative has traditionally been drawn from the apolitical Foreign Service—were among those ordered to return to Washington. The Associated Press reported that senior diplomats from at least 29 countries began receiving notices of their departures on Wednesday. The recalls were initially reported by Politico, which cited a State Department official saying that two dozen ambassadors were being told to leave their posts.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), representing Foreign Service officers, said it received “credible reports” that multiple career ambassadors appointed during the Biden administration had been instructed by phone to leave their posts by January 15 or 16, without any explanation. AFSA spokesperson Nikki Gamer said in an email cited by Reuters: “Abrupt, unexplained recalls reflect the same pattern of institutional sabotage and politicization our survey data shows is already harming morale, effectiveness, and U.S. credibility abroad.”
While ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, they typically remain in their posts for three to four years. State Department officials told AP that the affected diplomats are not losing their Foreign Service jobs but will return to Washington for reassignment if they choose.
Africa has been the region most impacted, with ambassadors recalled from 13 countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda. Other changes are occurring in Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovakia, Algeria, Egypt, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, and Suriname.
Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, criticized the move on X, stating that Trump was “giving away U.S. leadership to China and Russia by removing qualified career ambassadors who serve faithfully no matter who’s in power.” She added, “This makes America less safe, less strong, and less prosperous.”
