Senators Express Concern Over Diplomatic Vacancies
On Wednesday, Democratic senators called on President Donald Trump to reconsider the recent recall of approximately 30 career ambassadors, cautioning that this action results in a significant leadership gap that could be exploited by nations such as Russia and China.
The administration has directed numerous career diplomats stationed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America to return to Washington, aiming to align overseas missions with "America First" objectives.
In a letter to Trump, 10 Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee described the mass recalls as "an unprecedented move" not seen since the modern Foreign Service was established by Congress a century ago, noting no immediate plans to fill the positions with qualified replacements.
The senators stated that this decision increases the number of vacant U.S. ambassadorial posts to well over 100, representing about half of all such positions globally, with 80 already empty prior to the recall.
"As the over 100 U.S. embassies lacking senior leadership await a new U.S. ambassador, China, Russia and others will maintain regular communications with the foreign leaders that we will have effectively abandoned, allowing our adversaries to expand their reach and influence to limit, and even harm, U.S. interests," the Democrats wrote in their letter.
Examples highlighted by senators, including Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Murphy, show how Washington risks falling behind in key regions like the Indo-Pacific, Africa, the Balkans, and Latin America, where China's economic influence is growing.
"These ambassadors have demonstrated their commitment to faithfully execute the policies of administrations of both parties for decades," the senators said. "We urge you to reverse this decision immediately before more damage is done to America’s standing in the world."
While political appointees typically depart with a new administration, career diplomats often serve three to four years overseas regardless of government changes, though they serve at the president's discretion.
Trump has frequently expressed distrust of the bureaucracy, vowing to "clean out the deep state" by removing officials he views as disloyal and installing loyalists in key roles.
Earlier actions include a February order to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to overhaul the U.S. foreign service to ensure the president's foreign policy is "faithfully" implemented, and the dismissal of over 1,300 State Department personnel in July amid global crises such as the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East.
Overall workforce reductions at the State Department have reached about 3,000, accounting for more than 11% of its foreign and civil service officers, following resignations and early retirements.
