Following the recall of nearly 30 ambassadors and other diplomats who headed U.S. missions abroad, President Donald Trump plans to promote loyal servants to the State Department’s top posts.
The decision is unusual in that it affects career diplomats who held positions as heads of mission. Traditionally, this group tends to be maintained in positions after government transitions, precisely because it operates under the principle of political neutrality.
Still, Trump had been signaling his intention to overhaul the diplomatic corps, in line with his promise to eliminate what he calls the “deep state” within the federal bureaucracy.
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The plans were initially reported on the website Politicowhile a partial list of removals was released by Associated Press. The reorganization, however, was not officially announced.
State Department officials spent the weekend compiling names of diplomats who have been ordered to return to the United States.
