The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 ambassadors and other senior career diplomats to ensure embassies reflect its “America First” priorities, a move that critics say would weaken America’s credibility abroad.
The State Department declined to provide a list of retired diplomats.
A senior department official said Monday that the move was “standard process in any administration,” but critics said that was not the case.
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“An ambassador is a personal representative of the president, and the president has the right to ensure that he has people in these countries who will advance the America-first agenda,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Nearly 30 senior diplomats were among those ordered to return to Washington, people familiar with the matter said.
They were sent to smaller countries where the top U.S. representative has traditionally been from the Foreign Service, which is made up of career officials not aligned with any political party, the people said.
Retired diplomats were encouraged to find new roles at the State Department, a second U.S. official said.
The American Foreign Service Association, which represents foreign service officers, said it was working to confirm which members were removed after some reported being notified by phone without explanation, a process its spokesperson called “highly irregular.”
“The abrupt and unexplained withdrawals reflect the same pattern of institutional sabotage and politicization that our survey data shows is already damaging U.S. morale, effectiveness and credibility abroad,” spokeswoman Nikki Gamer said in an email.
The State Department declined to respond to Gamer’s comments.
Politico reported on Friday that two dozen ambassadors had been ordered to leave their posts, citing a State Department official.
Trump has sought to place his loyalists in senior positions since his second term began, after encountering resistance during his first term to promote his foreign policy priorities within the US national security establishment.
Jeanne Shaheen, ranking Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, attacked the Republican administration’s dismissal of the diplomats while some 80 ambassadorial positions remain vacant.
“President Trump is ceding America’s leadership to China and Russia by removing qualified career ambassadors who serve faithfully no matter who is in power,” Shaheen posted on X.
“This makes America less safe, less strong and less prosperous.”