The Trump administration is removing nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior diplomatic posts as it reshapes the U.S. foreign policy stance abroad with personnel considered fully aligned with President Trump’s “America First” priorities.
Heads of missions in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their terms would end in January, according to two State Department officials who spoke anonymously to AP.
All of these diplomats had been appointed during the Biden administration but had survived an initial purge in the early months of Trump’s second term, which mainly targeted political appointees.
That changed on Wednesday when they began receiving notices from Washington officials about their imminent departures.
Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, although they typically remain in their posts for three to four years. Officials said those affected by the reorganization are not losing their jobs in the Foreign Service but will return to Washington for other assignments if they choose.
The State Department declined to comment on specific numbers or affected ambassadors but defended the changes as “a standard process in any administration.”
Regions Most Affected:
- Africa: 13 countries — Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda.
- Asia: 6 countries — Fiji, Laos, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Vietnam.
- Europe: 4 countries — Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia.
- Middle East: 2 countries — Algeria and Egypt.
- South & Central Asia: 2 countries — Nepal and Sri Lanka.
- Western Hemisphere: 2 countries — Guatemala and Suriname.
