For an ambitious American diplomat it is quite the time to be scouting for a new role — at least on paper. As of late June more than half of American ambassadorships were vacant, including high-status posts from Germany to Saudi Arabia. For would-be Africa hands there is a particular opportunity: nearly 80 per cent of US embassies on the continent do not have an ambassador.
Inside the US Department of State, however, the job prospects for diplomats do not look so rosy. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, he has made clear his disdain for what he has called “a very foolish foreign policy establishment”.
As the official face and sometimes swaggering enforcer of America’s position in the world, the state department is accustomed to extraordinary respect abroad. Since the end of the cold war, US ambassadors and envoys have often dominated their hosts with the authority of imperial satraps.