Trump purges Biden-era diplomats in global recall – media

Washington is recalling more than two-dozen career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts worldwide, AP reported on Monday, citing US State Department sources. The move comes as part of a sweeping reshuffle under President Donald Trump’s revamped foreign policy.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has launched a wide-ranging government overhaul to remove holdovers from the era of his predecessor, Joe Biden, while installing close allies in key posts and realigning the administration with his ‘America First’ agenda – framing the moves as efforts to cut waste and boost efficiency.

According to AP sources, the Trump administration has informed ambassadors in at least 29 countries that their tenures will end in January. The notices were sent last week.

Africa has been most affected, with recalls in 13 countries, including Nigeria, Rwanda, and Somalia. Asia follows with eight countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam. Four European states – Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia – are also affected, along with two each in the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere. Politico said targeted diplomats were not given reasons for the recall.

The move has raised eyebrows because while new presidents typically replace political appointees, career diplomats are traditionally allowed to remain in post under the nonpartisan Foreign Service system. Reports claim those recalled are not losing their jobs but have been asked to return to Washington for other assignments.

Asked for comment, the State Department said the recalls were “a standard process.” It declined to give details, but stressed that ambassadors are the president’s personal representatives and that it is his right to ensure they advance his chosen agenda.

The recalls come amid broader shifts in US foreign policy under Trump, who has pursued conflict mediation, including between Russian and Ukraine, and restored direct contacts with Moscow that were frozen under Biden. He has also overhauled trade policy with what he calls “reciprocal tariffs” to push partners into new bilateral deals.

More changes were outlined in Trump’s new National Security Strategy released earlier this month, which breaks sharply with Biden’s approach by outlining a strict ‘America First’ doctrine and moving away from global interventionism toward a more transactional focus and protecting the US homeland, borders, and regional interests.