Trump Orders Layoffs of Over 1,300 State Dept Employees/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Over 1,300 State Department employees will lose jobs under a Trump-driven reorganization aiming to streamline operations. Officials say the cuts target redundant roles, while critics warn of harm to U.S. global influence and security. Programs on human rights, democracy, and Afghan resettlement are among those facing elimination.
Quick Look: State Department Layoffs
- 1,353 employees cut under Trump’s reorganization plan
- Critics fear damage to U.S. diplomatic capabilities worldwide
- Cuts affect programs tied to democracy, human rights, and Afghanistan
State Department Lays Off Over 1,300 Under Trump’s Reorganization Plan
Deep Look
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The State Department will lay off more than 1,300 employees on Friday as part of a sweeping reorganization ordered by the Trump administration — a move critics say will weaken America’s global influence and its ability to address threats overseas.
According to a senior department official who spoke anonymously, notices will go out to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers working in domestic posts.
Foreign service officers affected will be placed on 120 days of administrative leave before formally losing their jobs, while most civil servants face a 60-day separation period, an internal notice seen by the Associated Press said.
“In connection with the departmental reorganization … the department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” the notice read. “Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found from centralization or consolidation.”
Trump, Rubio Defend Cuts as Efficiency Measures
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have defended the layoffs, arguing that the department needs to become leaner and more efficient. Rubio said in Kuala Lumpur Thursday that the changes are about closing unneeded offices, not just cutting staff.
“It’s not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don’t need those positions,” Rubio said. “Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people.”
Some layoffs will affect already vacant roles or jobs soon to be vacated through retirements, he added.
Diplomats Warn of Dangerous Consequences
Many current and former diplomats have condemned the cuts. The American Academy of Diplomacy, representing hundreds of retired senior diplomats, called the move “an act of vandalism.”
“At a time when the United States faces unprecedented challenges from strategic competitors and adversaries, ongoing conflicts in Central Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and emerging security threats, the decision to gut the Department of State’s institutional knowledge and operational capacity is an act of vandalism,” the group said in a statement last week.
They accused Rubio of offering “disingenuous, pernicious, and false” justifications for the cuts.
Michael Rigas, deputy secretary for management and resources, acknowledged the impact in a notice Thursday:
“First and foremost, we want to thank them for their dedication and service to the United States,” he said. “Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy.”
Sweeping Restructuring Underway
The layoffs are part of a broader plan to reshape American diplomacy and reduce the federal workforce. The Trump administration has also merged the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) into the State Department after slashing foreign aid funding.
In late May, the department told Congress it plans further cuts, proposing an 18% staff reduction in the U.S.—even deeper than the 15% originally suggested in April.
Some divisions being eliminated include offices overseeing America’s involvement in Afghanistan and programs for resettling Afghan nationals who assisted U.S. forces.
A letter to Congress said more than 300 bureaus and offices will be affected, noting plans to eliminate programs focused on refugees, immigration, human rights, and democracy promotion—areas the Trump administration views as ideologically driven and misaligned with its policies.
The American Foreign Service Association, representing U.S. diplomats, urged the department to reconsider.
“Disrupting the Foreign Service like this puts national interests at risk — and Americans everywhere will bear the consequences,” association President Tom Yazdgerdi said last month.
Despite ongoing lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts, a recent Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for the layoffs to proceed.
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