By Yasin Gungor
ISTANBUL (AA) - The US is recalling about 30 ambassadors globally to align US representation with President Donald Trump's “America First” agenda, Fox News reported Monday.
The recalled diplomats are not being fired but will be reassigned within the State Department, according to a senior administration official cited by the report.
A senior department official described the move as a "standard process," saying that ambassadors are personal representatives of the president, who have the right to ensure they advance his agenda.
Officials said the diplomats are not being punished or retaliated against personally and can apply for other assignments, according to the report.
The recalled ambassadors are being encouraged to "find new opportunities" within the department to continue serving.
An official told the news outlet that efforts are being made to "prioritize continuity," with ambassadors not being recalled from countries at war or engaged in high-stakes negotiations with the US.
But the move was accused of showing an overly political approach to diplomatic assignments and weakening the US internationally, CNN reported.
The American Foreign Service Association, the union for US foreign service officers, said removing “senior diplomats without cause or justification sends a dangerous message.”
“It tells our allies that America’s commitments may shift with the political winds. And yet again, it tells our public servants that loyalty to country is no longer enough – that experience and oath to the Constitution take a backseat to political loyalty.”
Retired career diplomat Eric Rubin, the group’s former head, said that with the move, more than half of US embassies abroad will not have a confirmed ambassador, calling it “a serious insult to the countries affected, and a huge gift to China.”