The Trump administration is recalling more than two dozen ambassadors from posts around the world, The Post has learned.
The removal of 29 envoys from positions in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central America follows an initial mass dismissal of appointees of former President Joe Biden in the early months of President Trump’s second term.
Trump is yanking nearly 50 ambassadors from posts around the world. REUTERS
Among the positions being recalled are ambassadors from Central and South America. AP“This is a standard process in any administration,” a senior State Department official told The Post Monday. “An ambassador is a personal representative of the president, and it is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda.”
The latest recalls would leave the US without envoys in key global hotspots — including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, and Somalia in Africa as well as Armenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovakia in Europe.
The diplomatic reshuffle was first reported by Politico Friday. Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin posted a list of 48 countries where the chief of mission was ostensibly on the chopping block Monday morning, only to delete his post “because I was told by State Department officials that it was not accurate.”
The Post obtained an updated list of recalls from a source familiar with the situation at midday Monday.
John Dinkelman, president of the American Foreign Service Association, complained to Politico Friday that the recalls “undermine the confidence in the professional Foreign Service’s ability to effectively carry out the policies of the elected leadership of our nation.”
The move follows an initial mass firing of Biden appointees in the early months of Trump’s second term. Andre Borges/EPA/ShutterstockMeanwhile, the Trump administration has yet to nominate permanent ambassadors to key allies and partners, including Australia, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Ukraine.
“We have about 80 vacant ambassadorships,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Politico. “Yet, President Trump is giving away US leadership to China and Russia by removing qualified career ambassadors who serve faithfully no matter who’s in power.”
The Associated Press reported late Sunday that chiefs of mission were told last week that their terms would be up in January.
Those affected by the shake-up are not losing their foreign service jobs but will be offered other assignments upon their return to DC, two department officials told the wire service.
Africa is the continent most affected by the removals, with ambassadors from 14 countries being removed; followed by Asia, with ambassadorial changes coming to six countries.
The full list:
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Egypt
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Guatemala
- Ivory Coast
- Laos
- Mauritius
- Montenegro
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Macedonia
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Slovakia
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
With Post wires
Ed. note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly gave the number of ambassadors being recalled as 48.






