AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): An analytical report by the Financial Times shows that the U.S. State Department during Donald Trump's second presidential term has faced severe staff reductions, the sidelining of experienced diplomats, and an increase in political appointments; developments that, according to critics, have weakened Washington's diplomatic capability in the world.
According to this report, by the end of June this year, more than half of U.S. embassies worldwide had no ambassadors, and nearly 80 percent of U.S. embassies in Africa were also being run without ambassadors. Furthermore, among the 101 nominees introduced for ambassadorships during Trump's second presidential term, only nine were career diplomats from the State Department.
Meanwhile, the number of State Department employees has decreased by more than three thousand, equivalent to more than 20 percent, since Trump's return to the White House. The administration describes these changes as part of necessary reforms to align the State Department with the "America First" policy, but former diplomats consider it the politicization of the diplomatic apparatus and the elimination of expert personnel.
Nick Burns, former U.S. Ambassador to China, called the current situation "the most destructive crisis in the 102-year history of the U.S. Foreign Service" and warned that sidelining career diplomats would reduce America's power and influence in the world. Bill Burns, former CIA director, also believes that the damage inflicted on the State Department is even more extensive than during the McCarthy era of the 1950s, as it has encompassed nearly all specialized areas.
According to critics, Trump has increasingly relied on friends, donors, and associates in resolving international crises, reducing the role of career diplomats. They warn that this approach has undermined the quality of U.S. foreign policy negotiations and decision-making, and even Washington's allies now increasingly turn to the president's inner circle rather than the State Department.
In response, Trump administration officials emphasize that the State Department does not have the function of determining foreign policy and should only implement the president's policies. They also believe that in the age of social media and direct communication among world leaders, the traditional role of embassies and diplomatic reports has become less important than in the past.
The report concludes that even with a change of administration in the coming years, restoring the U.S. State Department to its previous structure and position will not be easy, and many experienced diplomats consider these developments a generational shift in U.S. foreign policy.
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