State Department is laying off over 1,300 staffers under Trump administration plan
Jul 11, 2025, 4:29 AM | Updated: 7:46 pm
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he boards his flight before departing from Subang Air Base, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, on Friday, July 11, 2025, after attending the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The State Department is firing over 1,300 career diplomats and civil servants in line with a dramatic reorganization plan initiated by the Trump administration earlier this year.
A senior State Department official said Friday the department is sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the United States.
While lauded by President Donald Trump’s administration as overdue and necessary to make the department leaner and more efficient, the cuts have been roundly criticized by current and former diplomats who say they will weaken U.S. influence and its ability to counter existing and emerging threats abroad.
