In another naked power grab, Boss Hogg is striking fear into anyone who won’t blindly follow his capricious orders.

 Dec. 24, 2025, 6:00 AM EST

President Donald Trump is ordering dozens of U.S. ambassadors around the world to leave their posts and return to the country within weeks. It’s yet another precedent-breaking maneuver by the president to remold the U.S.’ diplomatic apparatus into a more overtly political arm of government. 

Trump’s mass recall represents yet another example of how he’s gutting vital institutional knowledge. The effect is a loss of credentialed, nonpartisan civil experts whose experience is incredibly valuable for achieving U.S. foreign policy goals and managing everything from mitigating conflict to foreign investment to helping Americans stuck in a foreign country during a disaster. The Trump administration has presented no evidence that the recalled diplomats were not doing their jobs or following orders, but these kinds of actions are likely to chill independent thinking, as well as push diplomats to execute the administration’s directives bluntly and without the kind of finesse that experienced diplomats are known for.

This is all happening as Trump appoints a special envoy to Greenland to signal his continuing interest in trying to annex the territory from Denmark — which has infuriated the Danes. Trump is not interested in retaining or attracting the best people for diplomacy. He’s looking for personal errand boys to help try to execute his personal imperialistic fantasies.