Trump Administration Recalls Nearly 30 Ambassadors in Major Diplomatic Shift

The Trump administration has recalled nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and senior embassy posts as it seeks to reshape U.S. diplomatic strategy overseas with personnel aligned to President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities.

At least 29 ambassadors were notified last week that their terms would end in January, according to two anonymous State Department officials who discussed internal personnel shifts.

All these diplomats assumed their roles during the Biden administration but survived an initial round of dismissals early in Trump’s second term, which targeted primarily political appointees. This shift began on Wednesday with notices from Washington about their impending departures.

Ambassadors typically serve at the president’s discretion and remain in office for three to four years. Those affected will not lose their foreign service jobs but may return to Washington for other assignments if they choose.

The State Department declined to specify exact numbers or nationalities, but defended the changes as a routine administrative process. Officials stated that an ambassador functions as “a personal representative of the president and it is the president’s right to ensure he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda.”

Africa is most impacted by the removals, with ambassadors from 13 nations being recalled: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda.

Asia accounts for six affected countries: Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Four European nations—Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia—are impacted; two in the Middle East (Algeria and Egypt); two in South and Central Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka); and two in the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname).

The diplomatic reshuffling has raised concerns among some lawmakers and the union representing American diplomats.