Trump administration proposes closing complete embassies and consulates because it seeks to shrink US footprint: report | EUROtoday

The State Department is seeking to shut dozens of embassies and consulates abroad as a part of its effort to dramatically scale back the United States’ diplomatic presence overseas, in response to inside paperwork obtained by CNN.

The info, a part of the FY 2026 price range proposal, proposes sweeping adjustments which are apparently meant to scale back federal spending – a purpose of the Department of Government Efficiency and senior adviser Elon Musk.

It recommends closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates – many in Europe and Africa – and consolidating them into embassies in close by nations, Punchbowl reported.

It additionally recommends consolidating outposts in nations equivalent to Japan and Canada, and lowering U.S. diplomatic missions in nations equivalent to Somalia and Iraq, CNN reported.

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The proposed adjustments have been made “based on feedback from regional bureaus and the interagency, consular workload, cost per billet, condition of facilities and security ratings,” the memos say, in response to Punchbowl.

It’s unclear if Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed off on the proposed closures.

A State Department spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to The Independent: “No embassy or consulate closures have been announced, and operations continue as normal. The State Department continues to assess our global programs and posture to ensure we are best positioned to address modern challenges on behalf of the American people.”

The Independent has requested the White House for remark.

Of the advised consulates to shut, the proposal names 5 in France, two in Germany, one in Edinburgh, Scotland and one other in Florence, Italy.

It additionally recommends downsizing consulates in Montreal and Halifax, Canada.

Among embassies, it recommends shuttering these in Eritrea, Luxembourg, Malta and South Sudan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio just lately introduced he would revoke visas for the folks of South Sudan.

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Other options embody lowering the U.S. presence in Mogadishu, Somalia and shutting the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center.

The information arrives on the heels of different stories that recommend the Trump administration is making ready to ask Congress to slash the State Department price range and the U.S. Agency for International Development by almost half, from $54.4 billion to $28.4 billion.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce warned on Tuesday that the “kinds of numbers and what we tend to see is reporting that is early or wrong, based on leaked documents from somewhere unknown.”

Bruce mentioned it could finally be as much as the White House and President Donald Trump to determine what price range to undergo Congress.