Trump purges Biden-era diplomats in sweeping global recall |
The United States is undergoing one of the most far-reaching diplomatic shake-ups in decades as President Donald Trump moves to recall more than two dozen career diplomats from senior overseas postings, signaling a decisive break with the foreign policy approach of his predecessor, Joe Biden. According to an Associated Press report citing State Department sources, ambassadors and senior embassy officials in at least 29 countries have been informed that their tenures will end in January, part of a broader overhaul aimed at realigning US diplomacy with Trump’s revived “America First” doctrine.
The recalls, which were communicated last week, affect a wide geographic spread but disproportionately target Africa, where diplomatic missions in 13 countries are slated for leadership changes. Asia follows with eight countries impacted, while Europe, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere account for the remaining recalls. Among the affected nations are strategically significant partners such as Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, alongside European states including Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia.
While new administrations often replace political appointees, particularly ambassadors appointed by the previous president, the scope and nature of this move have raised eyebrows in Washington and among foreign policy professionals. Many of those being recalled are career Foreign Service officers-nonpartisan diplomats who traditionally serve across administrations regardless of political affiliation. Their sudden removal from ambassadorial posts marks a departure from long-standing norms designed to preserve continuity and institutional expertise in US foreign relations.
The Trump administration has sought to downplay concerns, with the State Department describing the recalls as a “standard process.” Officials emphasized that ambassadors serve as the........