Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 ambassadors and other senior diplomats to ensure embassies reflect its “America First” priorities, a move critics say would weaken U.S. credibility abroad.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to provide a list of recalled diplomats. A senior department official said Monday that the move was “standard process in any administration,” but critics said that was not the case.
“The ambassador is the president’s personal representative, and it is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in those countries who are promoting the America First agenda,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Nearly 30 senior diplomats were among those ordered back to Washington, people familiar with the matter said.
They were posted to smaller countries where the top U.S. official is traditionally from the foreign service, which is made up of career officials not affiliated with a political party, the people said.
The recalled diplomats were encouraged to find new roles at the State Department, the second US official said.
The American Foreign Service Association, which represents foreign service officers, said it was working to confirm which members had been dismissed after some reported being notified by phone without explanation — a process its spokesman called “highly irregular.”
“The sudden, unexplained withdrawals reflect the same pattern of institutional sabotage and politicization that our survey data shows is already damaging US morale, effectiveness and credibility abroad,” spokeswoman Nikki Gamer said in an email.
The State Department declined to comment on Gamer’s comments.
Trump has sought to place loyalists in senior roles since his second term, after facing resistance during his first term to pushing his foreign policy priorities within US national security.
Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, challenged the Republican administration’s removal of diplomats, while about 80 ambassadorial posts remain vacant.
“President Trump is giving the US a lead to China and Russia by removing qualified career ambassadors who serve faithfully regardless of who is in power,” Shaheen wrote on X. “This makes America less safe, less strong and less prosperous.”
This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.
