President Donald J. Trump has taken decisive action to clean up partisan bias embedded in government institutions, firing all members of the Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation—an ostensibly “non-partisan” body responsible for ensuring transparency and accuracy in the U.S. State Department’s historical records.

The firings were delivered via email last month by Cate Dillon, the White House liaison to the State Department. “On behalf of President Donald Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position on the Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation is terminated effective immediately,” Dillon wrote, according to The Washington Post.

No formal explanation was given to the Post for the sweeping terminations, but a closer look at the committee’s makeup and public record suggests the move was long overdue.

The committee, which advises the State Department on the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series—the official public record of American foreign policy—has faced mounting criticism from conservatives for harboring open anti-Trump and anti-American bias.

One of the most vocal former members, Timothy Naftali, a Canadian-American historian, took to X to announce his termination. His post sparked discussions among conservative commentators who pointed to Naftali’s past statements as evidence of ideological partisanship inappropriate for a federal advisory committee.

But Naftali wasn’t alone. Committee chairman James Goldgeier, a professor at American University, drew sharp criticism for his inflammatory rhetoric during the 2020 COVID pandemic and Black Lives Matter riots. “It wasn’t enough for Trump to kill Americans through his incompetence and disinterest in dealing with the pandemic,” Goldgeier wrote on X in July 2020. “Now he’s got DHS attacking peaceful Americans to distract from his failure to care about the pandemic. It’s startling that he has enablers in this effort.”

Statements like that have raised serious questions about the committee’s ability to function impartially, especially when tasked with safeguarding the integrity of America’s historical diplomatic record.

Despite left-wing media portrayals of the move as radical, the Trump administration has not eliminated the committee altogether. A senior State Department official confirmed to the Post that “there is a plan in place to maintain the committee,” signaling that President Trump merely intends to staff it with individuals committed to truth, professionalism, and national interest—not progressive politics.

Goldgeier, in a telling comment, revealed the committee is still working on documents from the Reagan administration due to a 30-year declassification rule. “Right now, the office is still trying to get volumes out from the Reagan era,” he said, claiming no work was being done on the current administration. Nevertheless, that has not quelled concerns about bias infecting the selection, interpretation, and release of vital historical documents.

The president’s move highlights his ongoing effort to purge the federal bureaucracy of entrenched ideological operatives and restore trust in America's institutions.