‘Shakeup’: Trump Admin Recalls Dozens of Biden-Era Ambassadors
The Trump administration has initiated a sweeping diplomatic reset, ordering dozens of U.S. ambassadors appointed during former President Joe Biden’s tenure to return to the United States by mid-January. Administration officials say the move reflects a broader realignment of American foreign policy under President Donald J. Trump’s renewed “America First” agenda.
According to two State Department officials who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press, at least 29 mission chiefs stationed across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East have received formal notice that their assignments are ending. The scale of the recall is notable, affecting both career Foreign Service officers and nonpolitical appointees—an unusually large number for a midterm adjustment.
“This is a standard process in any administration,” a senior State Department official said. “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.”
While it is customary for incoming presidents to recall politically appointed ambassadors from prior administrations, career diplomats are typically retained to ensure continuity. However, Trump administration officials have made no secret of their belief that the State Department’s entrenched culture often resists the policy direction set by elected leadership.
Reports from Politico indicate that affected ambassadors were notified by phone and instructed to leave their posts by Jan. 15 or 16. Africa appears to be the most impacted region, with recalls affecting embassies in Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda, among others.
In Asia, ambassadors serving in the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Marshall Islands were told to return. Several European posts—including Armenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovakia—were also included, along with assignments in Egypt, Algeria, Guatemala, and Suriname.
Officials emphasized that recalled ambassadors remain members of the Foreign Service and may be reassigned to roles in Washington or to other overseas postings.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), which represents U.S. diplomats, voiced concern about the breadth of the move. AFSA President John Dinkelman told Politico that the organization had received “anecdotal reports” of career diplomats being instructed to depart abruptly and without clear explanation.
“It continues to undermine the confidence in the professional Foreign Service’s ability to effectively carry out the policies of the elected leadership of our nation,” Dinkelman said, warning that the recalls could disrupt diplomatic continuity.
The Trump administration dismissed those claims, stressing that presidential authority over ambassadorial appointments is well established.
“Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president,” the State Department said in a written statement. “President Trump believes the United States is best represented by those who share his commitment to American sovereignty, secure borders, and reciprocal trade — principles that reflect the will of the American people.”
Although the administration had already begun replacing Biden-era political appointees in key embassies, this latest action represents the first large-scale reassignment of career diplomats since President Trump returned to office.
Democrats on Capitol Hill were quick to object. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accused the administration of weakening America’s global standing.
“We have about 80 vacant ambassadorships,” Shaheen said. “President Trump is giving away U.S. leadership to China and Russia by removing qualified career ambassadors who serve faithfully no matter who’s in power.”
Supporters of the move counter that the shakeup is long overdue and necessary to rein in a diplomatic bureaucracy they view as unaccountable and politically tilted.
“The president was elected to disrupt the status quo,” one senior administration official said. “This is about restoring accountability to a diplomatic corps that too often resists the policies of the people’s elected government.”
The recall comes as the Trump administration accelerates efforts to renegotiate trade agreements, strengthen border cooperation with foreign partners, and recalibrate U.S. engagement in Africa and Asia to counter China’s expanding influence.
Officials say the changes will ensure that future ambassadors “advance the president’s priorities without obstruction.”
Though unusual in scope, the move reinforces a defining principle of President Trump’s second term: confronting entrenched Washington institutions head-on—and reshaping U.S. diplomacy to reflect the mandate delivered by American voters.