(Reuters) – The administration of President Donald Trump has instructed U.S. embassies worldwide to prepare for staff reductions as part of efforts to restructure the U.S. diplomatic corps, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
According to the sources, some embassies have been asked to consider reducing both U.S. and locally employed staff by 10% each. A list of affected personnel is expected to be submitted to the State Department by Friday, after which further decisions will be made.
U.S. embassies employ both American diplomats and local staff, with the majority coming from host countries, according to the National Museum of American Diplomacy.
State Department Workforce Reductions
In a separate development, a U.S. official disclosed that approximately 60 contractors at the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor had been terminated in recent weeks, with the possibility of further cuts in other bureaus.
ABC News first reported that U.S. embassies had been instructed to begin planning for staff reductions.
The State Department, in response to inquiries, declined to comment on internal personnel matters.
“The State Department continues to assess our global posture to ensure we are best positioned to address modern challenges on behalf of the American people,” a spokesperson stated.
Reshaping the Diplomatic Corps
These developments coincide with Trump’s broader effort to restructure the U.S. diplomatic corps. On Wednesday, he issued an executive order instructing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reform the foreign service to ensure the “faithful and effective implementation” of his foreign policy agenda.
The order, titled One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations, emphasizes that failure to implement the president’s agenda may lead to professional discipline, including termination.
“The Secretary must maintain an exceptional workforce of patriots to implement this policy effectively,” the order stated.
Additionally, the directive calls for a potential overhaul of the Foreign Affairs Manual, a comprehensive guide that outlines the operational policies of the State Department both domestically and abroad.
Foreign Aid Freeze and Government Downsizing
Just hours after taking office on January 20, Trump ordered a freeze on most U.S. foreign aid to ensure alignment with his “America First” policies. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the country’s primary humanitarian aid agency, became the first target of an initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, aimed at reducing the size of the federal government.
Since then, Musk has deployed members of his Department of Government Efficiency to examine sensitive personnel and financial records across various government agencies. In addition to USAID, Musk has spearheaded efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency responsible for protecting Americans from predatory lending practices.
As Trump’s administration moves forward with its diplomatic and bureaucratic restructuring, officials and analysts continue to assess the broader implications of these changes on U.S. foreign policy and governance.
