‘Highly irregular’, Trump recalls 30 US ambassadors
The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 ambassadors and other top diplomats to ensure embassies reflect “America First” priorities; Critics say the move will undermine U.S. credibility abroad.
The State Department refused to provide a list of recalled diplomats. A senior department official said Monday that the move was “a standard process in every administration,” but critics said that wasn’t the case.
“The ambassador is the president’s personal representative, and it is the president’s right to ensure that there are people in these countries who will advance the America First agenda,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
About 30 senior diplomats were among those ordered back to Washington, people familiar with the matter said.
They were sent to smaller countries where the top U.S. representative is from the State Department, which traditionally consists of career officials unaffiliated with any political party, the sources said.
A second U.S. official said the recalled diplomats were encouraged to find new assignments at the State Department.
The American Foreign Service Association, which represents foreign service officials, said it was working to confirm which members were recalled after it reported that some were notified by phone without explanation. His spokesman described the process as “highly disorganized.”
“Sudden, unexplained recalls reflect the same pattern of institutional sabotage and politicization that our survey data already shows is damaging morale, effectiveness, and U.S. credibility abroad,” spokeswoman Nikki Gamer said in an email.
The State Department declined to respond to Gamer’s comments.
Trump has sought to install loyalists in senior roles since he began his second term, after encountering resistance in his first term as he advanced foreign policy priorities at the U.S. national security establishment.
Jeanne Shaheen, a senior Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, attacked the Republican administration’s dismissal of diplomats while approximately 80 ambassadorial posts remain vacant.
Shaheen wrote on
“This makes America less safe, less powerful, and less prosperous.”
