Under the Trump administration, the State Department is seeing an exodus of diplomats

NPR | By Michele Kelemen,

Hannah Bloch

Published May 10, 2026 at 8:12 AM EDT

Under the Trump administration, the State Department is seeing an exodus of diplomats. Among the reasons: a newly aggressive politicization of U.S. foreign policy.

Michele Kelemen

Michele Kelemen has been with NPR for two decades, starting as NPR's Moscow bureau chief and now covering the State Department and Washington's diplomatic corps. Her reports can be heard on all NPR News programs, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

See stories by Michele Kelemen

Hannah Bloch

Hannah Bloch is lead digital editor on NPR's international desk, overseeing the work of NPR correspondents and freelance journalists around the world.

See stories by Hannah Bloch

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