US President Donald Trump has ordered the sudden recall of nearly 30 ambassadors, including Herro Mustafa Garg, the US ambassador to Egypt, in what diplomats and observers are calling a politically driven purge of career envoys.
The New York Times reported Monday that the move risks crippling diplomatic continuity. The ambassadors, appointed under former President Joe Biden, were given just weeks to depart, well ahead of their typical three- to four-year term limits.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), which represents US diplomats, called the decision “unprecedented.” AFSA spokesperson Nikki Gamer said most envoys were notified abruptly by phone, without explanation. “The lack of transparency and procedural fairness flies in the face of decades of diplomatic norms,” Gamer said.
Under US law, presidents nominate ambassadors with Senate confirmation. Political appointees, often campaign donors or loyalists, typically resign when a new administration takes office. Career diplomats, however, are expected to serve beyond political transitions.
Trump’s State Department did not publicly announce the dismissals. In a terse statement, it claimed, “an ambassador is the personal representative of the president. The president has the right to ensure they support the America First agenda.”
A leaked internal list, circulated Monday among diplomatic staff, showed broad targeting of US missions across the Global South, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Those affected include envoys to Niger, Uganda, Senegal, Somalia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritius, Nigeria, Gabon, Congo, Burundi, Cameroon, and Rwanda.
In the Middle East and North Africa, ambassadors to Egypt and Algeria were recalled. In Europe, the list includes Slovakia, Montenegro, Armenia, and North Macedonia.
According to The Guardian, no replacements have been named for most positions. With over 80 ambassadorships already vacant, deputy chiefs of mission—largely career diplomats—are left to fill the void.
AFSA data reveals morale has plummeted since Trump returned to office. A December survey found 98% of respondents reported declining morale, citing budget slashes and mounting workloads. Eighty-six percent said executing US foreign policy has become more difficult.
Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a so-called “restructuring,” eliminating 1,300 State Department jobs, including 264 diplomatic positions. Many of those cut were career officers in Washington between postings.
In a further blow to inclusion, a dozen senior diplomats—most of them women or people of color—were told they would not continue as deputy chiefs of mission.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, slammed the move: “With 80 key posts already empty, this purge makes America less safe, less respected, and less effective.”
Despite confusion over motives, The Guardian reported that those recalled are not being fired but reassigned, although no timeline or clarity has been given.
