Trump removes nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial positions
Chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their terms would end in January, according to two State Department officials who discussed internal personnel movements on condition of anonymity.
They had all started their jobs under the Biden administration but managed to survive the first purge, which mostly targeted political appointees in the early months of Trump’s second term. That changed on Wednesday, when they began receiving notices from officials in Washington that they would be leaving soon.
Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, although they typically stay in their positions for three to four years. Those affected by the shakeout have not lost their foreign service jobs, but will return to Washington for other assignments if they choose, officials said.
The State Department declined to comment on the specific figures or ambassadors affected, but defended the changes, calling them “a standard process in any administration.” The report stated that 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.”
Africa was the continent most affected by expulsions, with ambassadors from 13 countries suspended: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.
The second is Asia, where embassy changes have come to six countries: Fiji, Laos, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam are affected. Four countries in Europe (Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia) are affected; Just as there are two each in the Middle East (Algeria and Egypt); South and Central Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka); and the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname).
Politico was first to report on the embassy recall, which has raised concerns from some lawmakers and the union representing American diplomats.
