Donald Trump has recalled at least 29 career ambassadors from their posts in countries including Egypt, the Philippines, and Rwanda. They have also been permanently removed from their positions. All ambassadors were appointed during the Biden administration, and now they’re being asked to return to Washington D.C. Meanwhile, Trump aims to appoint new ambassadors who can work with his “America First” position.
Typically, when an ambassador is appointed, they remain in the position for three to four years. In this case, all recalled ambassadors will return to Washington, D.C. to await new assignments. The State Department said that the recall was standard for any president, but the large number of countries affected is definitely new. Career diplomats are usually allowed to continue in their given positions because they are expected to serve the country rather than the president who appointed them. It seems that Trump will be appointing his own loyalists, however.
Of the countries with ambassadors recalled to Washington, D.C., 13 are from countries in Africa. Six are in Asia and four in Europe. Then, with the lowest matching number of two each are South and Central Asia and the Western Hemisphere. Also affected are envoys from the American Foreign Service Association.
What is he doing
Faith in Trump’s foreign policy is already shaky, given his recent expansion of the U.S. travel ban. Those online lambasted this latest move on the president’s part. “Marco Rubio is helping Trump destroy the country,” said one X user, referencing the current U.S. Secretary of State. Another commented that this move was unprecedented, writing that “it’s about to go down.”
With this current move on Trump’s part, the number of vacant openings for ambassadors has jumped to almost 80, according to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Despite the Trump administration’s insistence that its focus is on stability, moves like this certainly don’t make it seem that way. Will Trump ever actually “make America great again” or will the country be left in shambles in three years when his term ends? And for that matter, will the administration ever answer the questions that rise around shakeups like this one? For now, it seems that the American people will simply have to wait.
