President Trump plans major cuts to US Department of State

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to significantly downsize the Department of State, aiming to reduce the number of diplomats, diplomatic missions, and narrow the scope of the department’s activities. 

This move has raised concerns among critics, who argue that it could potentially open the door for countries like China to increase their influence globally, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.  

The Trump administration, influenced by figures such as Elon Musk, appears focused on refocusing the State Department’s priorities on transactional government agreements, enhancing US security, and promoting foreign investment in America. As a result, many traditional initiatives, such as those that promote democracy, human rights, scientific research, and international goodwill, could face significant cuts or elimination. These proposed changes would mark a historic restructuring of the department, which over the years has expanded its mission to include a range of efforts designed to bolster US influence abroad.

These efforts have included supporting countries in defending critical infrastructure from cyberattacks and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. In an effort to streamline operations, the State Department’s Executive Secretariat has reportedly asked other US government agencies, including the Department of Defense, CIA, Justice Department, and Department of Homeland Security, to rank US embassies based on their importance to national security and policy priorities. According to a Department of State official, the Pentagon has also been instructed to have global combatant commands submit their own rankings. 

The ranking system will evaluate embassies on a scale from zero to 10, with specific criteria such as each department or agency’s budget for embassy operations and the importance of the embassy to the agency’s overall policy goals. Each region must designate a quarter of embassies with a score between zero and two, another quarter with a score between three and five, and half can receive scores between six and 10. 

Among the potential consulate closures are locations in cities like Rennes, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux in France; Dusseldorf, Leipzig, and Hamburg in Germany; Florence, Italy; Ponta Delgada, Portugal; and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Embassy closures are more complicated than consulate closures, as embassies often house several functions from other US government branches, including trade and agricultural offices.

If these changes are implemented, it could result in more embassies covering multiple countries, a model already in place in regions like the Caribbean. The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk’s associates, is driving the planning and restructuring efforts aimed at reducing the federal workforce.

Additionally, Trump has signed executive orders signaling even broader shifts within the Department of State, including plans to absorb the US Agency for International Development (USAID). These sweeping changes, if carried out, could dramatically reshape US foreign policy and diplomatic operations, further igniting debates over the role of government in international relations and the balance of power on the global stage.

By Naila Huseynova