State Department Lays Off 1,300 Employees, Aims to Restructure Agency

The State Department began laying off over 1,300 staffers Friday as part of the Trump administration’s push to downsize the federal government.

The Details: An internal State Department notice revealed that 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers will be impacted. Foreign service officers affected will be placed on administrative leave for 120 days before formally losing their jobs. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously announced the closure of 132 offices and relocation of 137 others within the agency.

For Context: The changes have drawn criticism from former diplomats and Democrats who say the Trump administration is risking America’s national security by shrinking its diplomatic presence. The move is part of a drastic reorganization effort by the Trump administration to streamline the department's domestic operations and focus on diplomatic priorities. Friday’s cuts are less than Rubio’s initial proposal of an 18% cut in May, which would amount to laying off 18,700 US-based employees. 

How the Media Covered It: CNN (Lean left bias) reported on the issue, and heavily quoted criticism from Thomas Yazdgerdi, the president of the American Foreign Service Association, expressing concern over the policy’s impact on morale and international aid. Yazdgerdi said, “They target diplomats not for how they’ve served or the skills they have, but for where they happen to be assigned. That is not reform.” Fox News (Right) reported 1,800 layoffs, and included quotes from the State Department saying it will work to preserve the dignity of affected workers. The Hill (Center) shared responses from Rubio, and criticism from Democrats concerning conflicts and humanitarian crises in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, Haiti and Myanmar.

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