International relations
Trump Recalls 48 Ambassadors in Major Shake-Up
The State Department confirmed that 48 United States Ambassadors have been recalled in the second such shakeup by the new Administration. While such moves are standard after a change of government, no replacements have been nominated.
The Trump administration is recalling 48 U.S. ambassadors from posts across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central and South America, marking one of the largest diplomatic reshuffles of President Donald Trump’s second term.
The recalls, confirmed by a senior State Department official, follow an earlier wave of dismissals targeting appointees of former president Joe Biden during the first months of Trump’s return to office. Officials described the move as a routine assertion of presidential authority, emphasizing that ambassadors serve as personal representatives of the president.
“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.”
The latest recalls affect posts in several strategically sensitive regions. In Africa, ambassadors to countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, and South Sudan are being withdrawn. In Europe, the move impacts posts in Armenia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, and Slovakia. In Asia and the Middle East, envoys to countries such as Yemen, Oman, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mongolia, and several Central Asian states are also being recalled.
Africa is the most heavily affected region, with ambassadors to 25 countries, along with the representative to the African Union, told their terms will end in January. Asia follows, with changes involving 11 countries.
The recalls will leave the United States without permanent ambassadors in multiple countries at a time of heightened global competition and regional instability. The administration has not yet nominated replacements for several key allies and partners, including Australia, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Ukraine.
Critics argue the move risks weakening U.S. diplomatic influence. The president of the American Foreign Service Association warned that the recalls could undermine confidence in the professional diplomatic corps. Democratic lawmakers also voiced concern, saying the lack of confirmed ambassadors creates openings for rival powers.
Administration officials pushed back on those claims, noting that the affected diplomats are not being dismissed from government service. According to the State Department, recalled ambassadors will be offered other assignments upon returning to Washington, and embassies will continue operating under chargés d’affaires in the interim.
The shake-up reflects Trump’s broader effort to align U.S. foreign policy leadership with his administration’s priorities and to assert tighter political control over diplomatic appointments during his second term.