WASHINGTON — In a move to realign U.S. diplomatic efforts with President Donald Trump's "America First" priorities, the administration is recalling approximately 30 career diplomats from senior embassy positions across the globe.
According to two State Department officials speaking anonymously about internal matters, mission chiefs in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their assignments will conclude in January. These diplomats, who assumed their roles during the Biden administration, had previously avoided an earlier personnel review targeting political appointees at the start of Trump's second term.
The situation shifted on Wednesday when Washington officials began sending departure notices to these ambassadors. While ambassadors typically serve three to four years at the president's discretion, those affected by this recall are not being terminated from foreign service. Instead, they will have the option to return to Washington for reassignment, the officials explained.
The State Department declined to provide specific numbers or names but defended the personnel changes as "a standard process in any administration." A department statement emphasized that "an ambassador is a personal representative of the president and it is the president's right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda."
Africa experiences the most substantial impact from these diplomatic recalls, with 13 countries affected: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.
Asia follows with six countries facing ambassadorial changes: Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Additional regions affected include four European nations (Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia); two Middle Eastern countries (Algeria and Egypt); two South and Central Asian nations (Nepal and Sri Lanka); and two Western Hemisphere countries (Guatemala and Suriname).
Politico initially reported on these diplomatic recalls, which have prompted expressions of concern from some lawmakers and the union representing American diplomats.
