Mastodawn

Trump's 'unprecedented' diplomat recall sparks concerns over politicization of foreign service
The Trump administration’s recent recall of 30 career diplomats from around the world as part of its "America First" priority push is unprecedented, according to experts who say it may serve to politicize the American Foreign Service while populating it with those who lack the skills to deal...
#politics #foreignservice
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/diplomat-trump-ambassadors-recall-9.7031008?cmp=rss

CBC World Jan 1

Nonilex Aug 20, 2025

Former career #diplomat who served as director of the #CIA, deputy Secretary of #State, served 32 years in the #UnitedStates #ForeignService & 7 years as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International #Peace William J. Burns writes ‘A Letter to America’s Discarded Public Servants’

“You all deserved better.”

#GiftArticle #Trump #RevengePolitics #retribution #CivilServants #PublicService #MassLayoffs #labor #law #WeaponizationOfGovernment
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/10/trump-retribution-public-servants/683914/?gift=guxsrl_dAdXUP9zqbQPWxWgvPL95XrR70qjeawHGu7Y

William J. Burns: A Letter to America's Discarded Public Servants

You all deserved better.

The Atlantic

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Nonilex Jul 12, 2025

The total reduction in the workforce [#RIF] will be ~3k, including the *voluntary* departures, acc/to the notice & a senior #State Dept ofcl, out of the 18k employees based in the #US.

The move is the first step of a restructuring that #Trump has sought to ensure US #ForeignPolicy is aligned with his "America First" agenda. Fmr diplomats & experts say the firing of #ForeignService officers risks America's ability to counter the growing assertiveness from adversaries such as #China & #Russia.

Nonilex Jul 12, 2025

The #State Dept began firing >1,350 #US based employees Friday as the #Trump admin goes ahead with an unprecedented overhaul of its #DiplomaticCorps, undermining US ability to defend & promote interests abroad.

The #layoffs, which affect 1,107 #CivilService & 246 #ForeignService officers in the US, come as the US faces multiple global #crises: #Russia's war in #Ukraine, the #Gaza conflict, & the #MiddleEast on edge due to tensions between #Israel & #Iran.

#SoftPower
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/state-department-says-it-will-fire-more-than-1350-workers-trumps-shake-up-2025-07-11/

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Nonilex Jun 15, 2025

#AustinTice, a former Marine who graduated from the #Georgetown School of #ForeignService & was also enrolled in #law school there, was abducted in August 2012 after traveling to a suburb of Damascus. Weeks later, he appeared blindfolded in a video w/masked men carrying assault rifles. Former American ofcls believe that the video might have been a ruse to blame militants for his abduction.

#journalism #WarCorrespondence #Assad #Syria #WarCrimes #InternationalLaw

joe•iuculano

May 17, 2025

By #BridgetBrink, former US #Ambassador to #Ukraine, via the #DetroitFreePress - May16, 2025
_________

I respect the president’s right and responsibility to determine U.S. #ForeignPolicy ― with proper checks and balances by U.S. #Congress. It is the role of America’s #ForeignService to execute that policy. Unfortunately, the policy since the beginning of the #Trump administration has been to put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, #Russia

https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2025/05/16/trump-ukraine-policy-russia-ambassador-resign/83648993007/

I was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. I resigned because of Trump's foreign policy. | Opinion

I served in our country's foreign service for three decades. The Trump administration's Ukraine policy will make the U.S. less safe.

Detroit Free Press

Morgan Sheridan Apr 20, 2025

https://www.rawstory.com/leaked-trump-document/

#politics #foreignservice

'Infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters': Leaked executive order draft stuns diplomats

A draft document from Donald Trump's administration that details proposed cuts at the State Department has been leaked and it has set off a firestorm among diplomats who have been given an opportunity to review it.According to a report from Politico, two current and one former administration officia...

Raw Story

Deadline Apr 16, 2025

‘Foreign Service’ Embassy Comedy In Works At NBC
#News #AaronBrownstein #ForeignService #NBC #SimonGanz

https://deadline.com/2025/04/foreign-service-embassy-comedy-nbc-1236370419/

‘Foreign Service’ Embassy Comedy In Works At NBC

NBC is developing Foreign Service, a workplace comedy from writers Aaron Brownstein and Simon Ganz and Aaron Kaplan's Kapital Entertainment.

Deadline

Nonilex Feb 7, 2025

A federal judge on Friday said he would order the #Trump admin to halt elements of its attempt to shut down #USAID.

Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, said after a hearing that he would issue a temporary #RestrainingOrder pausing the imminent administrative leave of 2,200 USAID employees & a plan to withdraw the agency’s overseas workers.

The lawsuit filed was by the largest #union representing #FederalWorkers & the union representing #ForeignService Officers.

#law
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02/07/us/trump-administration-updates/judge-will-freeze-elements-of-trump-plan-to-shut-down-usaid?smid=url-share

New Administration Highlights: Trump Revokes Biden’s Security Clearance

The New York Times