WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is bringing back nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassador and other senior embassy jobs as it works to reshape U.S. diplomacy around President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.
According to two State Department officials, ambassadors in at least 29 countries were told last week that their assignments would end in January. The officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss internal staffing decisions.
All of the diplomats were appointed during the Biden administration but stayed in their roles during the early months of Trump’s second term, when most political appointees were removed. That changed this week, when they began receiving official notices from Washington that they would soon be leaving their posts.
Ambassadors serve at the president’s discretion, though they usually stay in their roles for three to four years. The affected diplomats are not being fired and may return to Washington for other jobs within the foreign service if they choose.
The State Department would not confirm how many ambassadors are affected but said the move is a normal part of a new administration. In a statement, the department said ambassadors represent the president personally and that the president has the right to choose people who support his policies.
Africa is the region most impacted, with ambassadors being recalled from 13 countries, including Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Somalia.
Asia is next, with changes in six countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Fiji.
Four European countries are also affected: Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia. Two countries each in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere are also seeing ambassadorial changes.
Politico first reported the recalls. The move has raised concerns among some lawmakers and the union that represents U.S. diplomats.
