Trump Administration Recalls Dozens of US Ambassadors

The Trump administration has begun recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as part of a broader effort to reshape the United States’ diplomatic corps in line with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.

According to two U.S. State Department officials, chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their tenures would end in January. Those affected were notified formally beginning Wednesday, when messages from Washington informed them of their imminent departures.

All of the diplomats were appointed during the Biden administration and had initially remained in place after Trump began his second term, surviving an earlier round of removals that primarily targeted political appointees. The latest action marks a shift, extending the shake-up to career foreign service officers occupying some of the most senior posts abroad.

While ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, they typically remain in their posts for three to four years. The State Department officials said the diplomats being recalled are not being dismissed from the foreign service and may return to Washington for other assignments if they choose.