WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy positions as part of its move to reshape America’s diplomatic posture abroad with staff seen as fully supportive of President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities.
Chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their terms would end in January, according to two State Department officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal staff movements.
All of them took office in the Biden administration but survived the initial purge in the first months of Trump’s second term that mainly targeted political appointees. That changed on Wednesday when they began receiving notices from officials in Washington about their impending departure.
Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president although they usually remain in office for three to four years. Officials said those affected by the change will not lose their jobs in the diplomatic corps, but will return to Washington to carry out other assignments if they wish.
The State Department declined to comment on specific numbers or ambassadors affected, but defended the changes, calling them “a standard process in any administration.” She noted that the ambassador is “a personal representative of the president and it is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries working to advance the America First agenda.”
Africa is the continent most affected by the removals, as the ambassadors of 13 countries were removed: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda.
The second is Asia, where ambassadors were changed in six countries: Fiji, Laos, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Four countries in Europe were affected (Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia); As is the case with two countries in the Middle East (Algeria and Egypt); South and Central Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka); and the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname).
Politico was the first to report on the recall of the ambassadors, which alarmed some lawmakers and the union that represents American diplomats.