President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly ordering dozens of U.S. ambassadors back home in a sweeping diplomatic shakeup — and predictably, the permanent Washington bureaucracy is not thrilled.
According to The Associated Press, mission chiefs in at least 29 countries were notified beginning Dec. 17 that their overseas assignments would end in January. Two State Department officials, speaking anonymously to discuss internal personnel matters, confirmed the recalls, which were also reported by the New York Post.
The ambassadors in question were all appointed during former President Joe Biden’s administration. While Trump did conduct an early recall of political appointees at the start of his second term, this latest move targets career Foreign Service officers — a class of diplomats typically allowed to ride out administration changes.
In other words, this wasn’t business as usual for the diplomatic class. And that’s precisely the point.
A senior State Department official pushed back against claims of impropriety, calling the move “standard” and fully within presidential authority.
“An ambassador is a personal representative of the president,” the official said Monday. “It is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda.”
That explanation hasn’t satisfied critics in the foreign policy establishment, who are accustomed to operating on autopilot regardless of who voters elect.
Politico noted that while politically appointed ambassadors are commonly recalled during transitions, career diplomats are often left in place to maintain continuity. Trump, however, appears uninterested in maintaining continuity with Biden-era priorities — a stance that should surprise absolutely no one.
Importantly, the recalled ambassadors are not being fired. Officials told the AP they will retain their Foreign Service status and may return to Washington for other assignments if they choose. The sky, it turns out, is not falling.
Africa took the biggest hit, with ambassadors recalled from 13 countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Rwanda, Niger, and Uganda. Asia followed, with recalls affecting the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, and several Pacific Island nations. Europe saw four recalls — Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia — while Algeria and Egypt were affected in the Middle East. Guatemala and Suriname rounded out the Western Hemisphere list.
Still, the usual suspects are sounding alarms.
American Foreign Service Association President John Dinkelman told Politico that diplomats received notices without explanation and claimed the move could damage U.S. diplomatic efforts. Translation: the career bureaucracy is unhappy that elections now have consequences.
From the Trump administration’s perspective, the message is clear: U.S. diplomacy will reflect the priorities of the elected president, not the institutional preferences of an entrenched foreign policy class. Aligning ambassadors with an “America First” agenda isn’t radical — it’s accountability.
And for a diplomatic establishment long accustomed to ignoring voter mandates, that may be the biggest shock of all.
