Summary

The State Department plans to close several consulates in Western Europe and reduce its global workforce by at least 10%, while potentially merging expert bureaus at its Washington headquarters.

Consulates in Germany, France, Italy, and Turkey’s Gaziantep are under consideration for closure.

These cuts, part of Trump and Musk’s efforts to gut federal agencies, are claimed to align the bureaucracy with Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Critics warn these reductions, along with dismantling USAID, risk undermining American leadership globally and creating opportunities for China and Russia to expand influence.