A draft document from Donald Trump's administration that details proposed cuts at the State Department has been leaked and it has set off a firestorm among diplomats who have been given an opportunity to review it.
According to a report from Politico, two current and one former administration official familiar with the plans have confirmed the legitimacy of the draft executive order that the White House is now calling "fake news" after it was first reported.
The document, also acquired by the New York Times, "calls for eliminating scores of traditional State Department offices and bureaus and overhauling how Foreign Service postings work. Among other changes, it would eliminate the regional bureau devoted to Africa and shrink the U.S. diplomatic presence in Canada."
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With the Times reporting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pushing back on reports about the draft, Politico notes that those who have seen it are stunned with one diplomat calling it: “bonkers crazypants.”
They added, "There’s a lot that could be reformed, but you could give infinite monkeys infinite typewriters, and they would come up with something better than that.”
The Politico report notes, "Some of the most startling shifts outlined in the purported order address how the U.S. approaches Africa. Under changes proposed within it, much of the State Department’s work on the region would be farmed out to the White House and all 'non-essential embassies and consulates in sub-Saharan Africa' would be closed by Oct. 1, 2025. A Special Envoy for African Affairs reporting directly to the National Security Council would replace the African Affairs bureau."
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