TheTrump administration has ordered the recall of Richard Mills, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, along with a wave of career diplomats stationed across Africa and other regions, in a sweeping realignment of America’s diplomatic corps to reflect his “America First” foreign policy agenda.
Infact, it was gathered that the administration is recalling nearly 30 ambassadors and other senior career diplomats to ensure embassies reflect its “America First” priorities, a move critics said would weaken U.S. leadership in the world.
According to a report by Politico and other U.S media reports, the move affects ambassadors who were originally appointed during the Joe Biden administration and will see their tenures end in January 2026.
While the diplomats are not being dismissed from the foreign service, they will return to Washington for potential reassignment, as their roles as chiefs of mission come to a close.
Africa has emerged as the hardest-hit region, with envoys from 13 countries—including Nigeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Uganda—among those recalled.
Diplomats in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Western Hemisphere have also been affected, though to a lesser extent.
A State Department official, speaking on background, confirmed the reshuffle and described it as consistent with presidential prerogative. “An ambassador is a personal representative of the president, and it is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America
The recalled diplomats were encouraged to find new roles in the State Department, a second U.S. official said.
Trump has sought to place loyalists in senior roles since starting his second term after encountering resistance during his first term advancing his foreign policy priorities within the U.S. national security establishment.
Jeanne Shaheen, ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, assailed the Republican administration’s removal of the diplomats while about 80 ambassadorial posts remain vacant.
“President Trump is giving away U.S. leadership to China and Russia by removing qualified career Ambassadors who serve faithfully no matter who’s in power,” Shaheen posted on X. “This makes America less safe, less strong and less prosperous.”