Democrats urge Trump to reverse recall of career ambassadors

Democratic senators urged President Donald Trump on December 24 to reverse the recall of nearly 30 career US ambassadors, warning that the move risks creating a dangerous leadership vacuum that could allow rivals such as Russia and China to expand their influence.

In a letter addressed to Trump and seen by Reuters, 10 Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee described the decision as an “unprecedented move” that no administration has taken since Congress established the modern Foreign Service about a century ago. The senators said there was no clear plan to replace the recalled diplomats with qualified candidates.

In recent days, the Trump administration ordered more than two dozen career diplomats serving across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America to return to Washington, saying the step was needed to ensure US missions abroad align with its “America First” priorities.

The senators said the recalls have pushed the number of vacant US ambassadorial posts to well over 100 — about half of all such positions worldwide. According to the letter, around 80 ambassador posts had already been vacant before the latest decision.

“As the over 100 U.S. embassies lacking senior leadership await a new U.S. ambassador, China, Russia and others will maintain regular communications 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,” the Democrats wrote.

The letter was signed by lawmakers including Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen and Senator Chris Murphy. The senators cited regions ranging from the Indo-Pacific to Africa, the Balkans and Latin America, arguing that Washington would be left at a disadvantage in countering China’s expanding economic reach as Beijing and Moscow deepen their engagement.

“These ambassadors have demonstrated their commitment to faithfully execute the policies of administrations of both parties for decades,” the senators said. “We urge you to reverse this decision immediately before more damage is done to America’s standing in the world.”

Political appointees typically leave their posts when a new administration takes office, but career diplomats are generally viewed as bipartisan professionals and often serve three to four years overseas regardless of changes in government.

By Sabina Mammadli