Washington: In a significant move emphasizing the ‘America First’ agenda, President Donald Trump has recalled nearly 30 senior U.S. diplomats, including two dozen ambassadors, back to Washington. This decision, announced by a senior department official on Monday, is described as a ‘standard process in any administration.’ However, critics have contested this characterization, arguing that it deviates from traditional procedures.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the recalled diplomats were primarily stationed in smaller countries where the top U.S. representatives have historically been career officials from the Foreign Service, which is composed of non-partisan professionals. The decision has sparked controversy, with some diplomats reportedly receiving abrupt notifications without detailed explanations, a method described as ‘highly irregular’ by the American Foreign Service Association. The association is currently verifying which members have been affected, highlighting concerns over potential impacts
on morale and U.S. credibility abroad.
The State Department has not addressed comments made by Nikki Gamer, the spokesperson for the American Foreign Service Association, who criticized the abrupt recalls as indicative of institutional sabotage and politicization. This development follows a report by Politico on Friday, which first cited a State Department official regarding the recall of two dozen ambassadors.
Since commencing his second term, President Trump has been intent on placing loyalists in key positions, following resistance faced during his first term in advancing his foreign policy objectives. This strategy has been met with criticism from political opponents, including Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Shaheen condemned the administration’s decision to remove seasoned diplomats while approximately 80 ambassadorial roles remain unfilled, asserting that such actions diminish U.S. leadership globally, potentially benefiting nations like China a
nd Russia.