‘Sweeping Changes’: State Dept Shuttering More Than 130 Offices, Slashing Staff

The Trump administration is planning to close 132 State Department offices and cut U.S. personnel, The Free Press reported on Tuesday.

The closures will affect offices that focus on instituting democracy overseas, countering extremism, and protecting human rights, according to The Free Press. The administration seeks to reduce the number of State Department offices by 17%, from 734 to 602. Undersecretaries were also reportedly given 30 days to present plans to slash personnel in individual departments by 15%.

“Today is the day. Under @POTUS’ leadership and at my direction, we are reversing decades of bloat and bureaucracy at the State Department,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media. “These sweeping changes will empower our talented diplomats to put America and Americans first.”

Today is the day. Under @POTUS’ leadership and at my direction, we are reversing decades of bloat and bureaucracy at the State Department.

These sweeping changes will empower our talented diplomats to put America and Americans first. pic.twitter.com/CGWz3JrYwu

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 22, 2025

In a statement, Rubio confirmed that massive changes are coming to the State Department, adding that it is currently “bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in this new era of great power competition.”

“Over the past 15 years, the Department’s footprint has had unprecedented growth and costs have soared. But far from seeing a return on investment, taxpayers have seen less effective and efficient diplomacy,” the statement added. “The sprawling bureaucracy created a system more beholden to radical political ideology than advancing America’s core national interests.”

A report by The New York Times published on Sunday claimed that the State Department’s restructuring would also “shut down embassies and consulates across” Africa. Rubio responded to the Times report, calling it “fake news.”

According to The Free Press, internal documents show that the Trump administration plans to eliminate State Department offices “that focus on a variety of foreign policy issues and are viewed by the Trump administration as no longer necessary.” Around 700 positions for civil service and foreign service employees in those offices are expected to be cut.

“This approach will empower the Department from the ground up, from the bureaus to the embassies,” Rubio added. “Region-specific functions will be consolidated to increase functionality, redundant offices will be removed, and non-statutory programs that are misaligned with America’s core national interests will cease to exist.”

On Tuesday morning, around a dozen top State Department officials were informed by leadership of the overhaul, a senior official told The Free Press. The State Department is the latest in the Trump administration to be the center of significant cuts.

Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency project, which is influenced by senior adviser Elon Musk, has targeted numerous government agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, and the Department of Defense, among others.