The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy roles as it works to reshape U.S. diplomacy overseas with personnel viewed as fully aligned with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their assignments would end in January, according to two State Department officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel decisions.
All of the diplomats had been posted during the Biden administration but initially remained in place after an early wave of changes during the first months of Trump’s second term, a period that largely focused on political appointees. That shifted on Wednesday, when the officials said the ambassadors began receiving formal notices from Washington about their impending departures.
U.S. ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, though they typically remain in their posts for three to four years. The officials said those affected are not being dismissed from the foreign service; instead, they would return to Washington and could take on other assignments if they choose.
The State Department declined to discuss specific numbers or identify the ambassadors involved. It defended the moves as routine, describing them as “a standard process in any administration.” The department also emphasized that an ambassador is “a personal representative of the president,” and said it is the president’s prerogative to appoint individuals abroad who will advance the America First agenda.
Africa is expected to see the largest impact, with ambassadors in 13 countries slated for removal: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.
Asia is next, with changes affecting six countries: Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Four European countries are included—Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia—along with two countries each in the Middle East (Algeria and Egypt), South and Central Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka), and the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname).
Politico first reported the ambassadorial recalls. The changes have prompted concern among some lawmakers and the union representing American diplomats.
