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Photos of US State Department workers getting hugs and applause as they’re fired

Jul 17, 2025, 9:24 AM

State Department employees carry boxes on a cart out of the Harry S. Truman Building, the headquart...

State Department employees carry boxes on a cart out of the Harry S. Truman Building, the headquarters of the State Department, in Washington, Friday, July 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Carrying boxes past signs of thanks for their service, fired State Department workers were hugged and applauded as they left their headquarters for the last time. More than 1,300 State Department employees fired in July, some focusing on intelligence activities, U.S. energy interests abroad, strategic competition with China and visa fraud. The lay offs are in line with a dramatic reorganization plan from the Trump administration.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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Photos of US State Department workers getting hugs and applause as they’re fired