An Unprecedented Order issued for Current Ambassadors by Trump

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The New York Times published an article on 5^th January 2017 regarding a State Department cable sent to U.S diplomats on 23^rd December 2016 by the transition team of new elected U.S President Donald Trump. It was due to inform them that they should leave their posts before inaugural ceremony without exception. An official from the State Department has confirmed that the transition team of Trump will not allow any type of exception for current ambassadors about requests of their extensions to continue serving at their posts. A number of versions similar to New York Times report, various social media summaries and misconception regarding the actual report of New York Times motivated a large number of readers to believe that Trump had broken precedent.

It was assumed that Trump ordered to political ambassadors appointed by the current U.S President Barak Obama. Trump ordered them to leave their posts prior to the date of his inaugural ceremony. The specifically mentioned “Precedent” at the center of NY Times article was pointing whether new elected president will allow exceptions to the ambassadors of Obama administration to remain at their posts for a specific amount of time after his inaugural ceremony. A spokesman from the American Foreign Service Administration has shown his hesitation to say that trump’s policy of no-extensions was unprecedented. The Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, John Kirby also said that it was an unusual policy and the former administrations had allowed exceptions, politically appointed persons should not remain at their posts.