Democratic senators urged US President Donald Trump on Wednesday to reconsider his administration’s decision to recall nearly 30 career ambassadors, cautioning that the move risks creating a leadership vacuum in US missions abroad and could allow strategic rivals such as China and Russia to expand their influence.
The Trump administration has ordered veteran diplomats serving across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America back to Washington in a bid to align US missions with the president’s “America First” priorities. However, the State Department has not specified how or when these ambassadors would be replaced. A senior official described the recall as “a standard process in any administration.”
In a letter seen by Reuters, 10 Democratic members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee described the sweeping recalls as unprecedented in the modern era of the US Foreign Service. They said the action lacked a clear plan to ensure continuity in diplomatic leadership and warned that it could leave the United States vulnerable on the global stage.
The senators noted that the decision would push the number of vacant US ambassadorial posts to over 100, roughly half of all such positions worldwide. Approximately 80 posts were already unfilled before the latest recalls, they added.
“As the over 100 US embassies lacking senior leadership await a new US ambassador, China, Russia and others will maintain regular communications with foreign leaders that we will have effectively abandoned,” the letter stated. “This could allow US adversaries to expand their reach and harm American interests.”
The White House referred questions to the State Department, which in turn accused Democrats of obstructing ambassadorial appointments. Republicans, who control the Senate, had changed confirmation rules in September, arguing that Democrats had slowed the installation of Trump’s nominees.
The senators warned that the recalls would weaken US standing across multiple regions, including the Indo-Pacific, the Balkans, Africa, and Latin America. They emphasized that Washington would be left without a senior diplomatic presence in more than half of sub-Saharan African countries.
“These ambassadors have demonstrated their commitment to faithfully execute the policies of administrations of both parties for decades,” the letter said. It was signed by committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Murphy, among others.
Traditionally, political appointees depart when a new administration takes office, but career diplomats are generally considered bipartisan professionals. They typically complete three- to four-year postings regardless of changes in government.
Trump, however, has repeatedly expressed a desire to overhaul what he calls the “deep state” and ensure that the State Department strictly adheres to his agenda. In February, he directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revamp the foreign service to align with the administration’s priorities.
The mass recall follows earlier actions that have significantly reduced the department’s workforce. In July, the administration dismissed more than 1,300 State Department diplomats and civil servants amid ongoing global crises, including the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza. Combined with early retirements and deferred resignations, these cuts have reduced the department’s staff by over 11 percent.
Analysts and former diplomats have warned that the abrupt removal of experienced officials could leave critical US embassies without the expertise needed to navigate complex international issues, including trade negotiations, security alliances, and crisis management. They caution that adversaries could exploit the gaps, potentially diminishing American influence at a pivotal moment in global geopolitics.
The recall of nearly 30 career ambassadors underscores the Trump administration’s determination to reshape US diplomacy, but the Senate Democrats’ warnings suggest that the policy could come at the cost of diminished leadership and a potential strategic disadvantage abroad.
