A draft executive order from the Trump administration proposes significant restructuring of the State Department, including the elimination of nearly all operations in Africa and the closure of numerous embassies and consulates across the continent.
The draft also suggests cutting offices at State Department headquarters that focus on climate change, refugee issues, and democracy and human rights concerns.
Elements of the executive order may change prior to final review by the White House or before President Trump signs it. The State Department and the White House National Security Council did not provide immediate comments on the draft order.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the article discussing the draft as “fake news” in a social media post.
The executive order aims to implement “a disciplined reorganization” of the State Department and streamline operations while eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse,” according to a 16-page draft obtained by The New York Times. The department is expected to implement these changes by October 1.
Some proposed changes would necessitate congressional notification and are likely to face challenges from lawmakers, including the mass closure of diplomatic missions and an overhaul of the diplomatic corps. Significant portions of the plan could also lead to legal disputes if pursued.
The draft began circulating among current and former U.S. diplomats and officials over the weekend. The authorship and the specific stage of internal discussions regarding the restructuring remain unclear. This document is one of several recent proposals for changes within the State Department.
Major structural changes would likely involve layoffs of both career diplomats and civil service employees, with plans to place many workers on paid leave and issue termination notices.
The draft calls for the elimination of the foreign service exam for aspiring diplomats and outlines new hiring criteria aligned with the president’s foreign policy vision.
It also emphasizes the need for increased use of artificial intelligence for document drafting, policy development, and operational planning.
The proposed reorganization would dismantle regional bureaus responsible for policy formulation and implementation, redistributing these functions into four new “corps”: Eurasia Corps, Mid-East Corps, Latin America Corps, and Indo-Pacific Corps.
One of the most significant changes includes the elimination of the Bureau of African Affairs, which would be replaced by a smaller special envoy office reporting to the White House National Security Council, focusing on specific issues such as counterterrorism and resource trade.
Additionally, the draft orders the closure of all “nonessential” embassies and consulates in sub-Saharan Africa by October 1, with diplomats deployed on targeted missions.
Operations in Canada would be consolidated into a new North American Affairs office under Rubio's authority, which would operate with a significantly reduced team, including a smaller U.S. embassy in Ottawa.
The draft also proposes the elimination of bureaus overseeing democracy and human rights, refugee and migration issues, and international organizations, along with the associated under secretary positions.
A new position, the under secretary for transnational threat elimination, would be created to manage counternarcotics and related policies, while the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance would absorb functions from the United States Agency for International Development.
The memo indicates a shift from a generalist global rotation model to a regionally specialized career service framework within the Foreign Service, allowing applicants to choose their preferred regional corps during the application process.
Buyouts for foreign service and civil service officers would be offered until September 30, according to the draft.
The draft also proposes narrowing Fulbright scholarships to only those pursuing master’s-level studies in national security and ending contracts with Howard University for recruiting candidates for fellowships aimed at underrepresented groups.
This executive order draft is part of a series of internal documents proposing changes to the State Department, including a nearly 50 percent budget cut for the agency in the upcoming fiscal year and plans to close additional embassies and consulates.