The Trump administration has begun an aggressive shake-up at the State Department that will close 132 agency offices, including those launched to further human rights, advance democracy overseas, counter extremism, and prevent war crimes.
The plans to reorganize the leading foreign policy agency in the United States are outlined in internal documents obtained by The Free Press. They show how the State Department will eliminate or restructure hundreds of offices in Washington, D.C.—a revelation that comes after reports in recent weeks of a rumored overhaul at the agency. The State Department is bringing its number of offices down from 734 to 602, a 17 percent reduction.
Separately, under secretaries at the State Department are also being instructed within 30 days to present plans to reduce their U.S. personnel in individual departments by 15 percent, according to a senior State Department official. These include six top offices employing thousands of people. The reorganization comes as the Trump administration seeks to drastically reduce the size and scope of the federal government.
Earlier this morning, roughly a dozen top officials at the State Department were briefed on the plans by leadership at the agency, according to a second senior State Department official. The State Department also sent a brief letter to Congress on Tuesday informing lawmakers that there will be changes to the department, although it is expected to send a more detailed congressional notice in the near future that will outline them. Officials say it is the biggest shake-up at the State Department “in decades.”