Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are urging President Trump to reverse the “unprecedented” decision to recall nearly 30 top career diplomats, leaving more than half of all U.S. ambassador posts vacant.
In a letter to the president on Wednesday, the senators warned that recalling the chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries could create a “vacuum in U.S. leadership” on the world stage, noting 80 ambassadorial posts were already vacant before the latest move.
“We write with urgent concern surrounding the unprecedented decision to recall nearly 30 career U.S. ambassadors,” the senators wrote.
“This vacuum in U.S. leadership poses a significant threat to our national security and unnecessarily risks the safety of U.S. citizens and businesses overseas,” they added. “We ask you to reconsider this decision before it damages America’s credibility and the ability to advance U.S. interests abroad.”
The letter was signed by Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), along with fellow Democratic Sens. Chris Coons (Del.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Jacky Rosen (Nev.).
At least 29 top diplomats were informed last week that their tenures would end in January, The Associated Press reported Monday, noting all of them had taken up their posts during the Biden administration but had survived the purge of mostly political appointees in the early months of the Trump administration.
The recalled ambassadors are not losing their foreign service jobs and will be offered other assignments when they return to Washington.
The State Department would not confirm the number of recalled ambassadors in a statement to The Hill, but it defended the shake-up as a “standard process in any administration.”
The State Department noted that 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 AP reported.
The senators expressed concern that, after the latest recall, more than 100 U.S. embassies around the world will lack a U.S. ambassador, creating a void for U.S. adversaries like China and Russia to strengthen their ties with “the foreign leaders that we will have effectively abandoned, allowing our adversaries to expand their reach and influence to limit, and even harm, U.S. interests.”
They stressed the “unprecedented” nature of the decision, saying nonpartisan diplomats are critical “now more than ever.”
“Mr. President, no other administration has issued such a mass recall of career ambassadors since Congress established the modern Foreign Service a century ago,” they wrote.
“These ambassadors have demonstrated their commitment to faithfully execute the policies of administrations of both parties for decades,” the Democrats continued. “We need their skills and nonpartisan experience now more than ever. We urge you to reverse this decision immediately before more damage is done to America’s standing in the world.”
The Hill reached out to the White House for comment.
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