WILLIAM BRANGHAM: In an unusual move,# the Trump administration is recalling## the ambassadors from nearly 30 countries around# the world.

According to the Associated Press,## nations in Africa are losing the# most diplomats, followed by Asia,## then Europe, the Middle East, and# here in the Western Hemisphere.

The State Department told the "News Hour" in## a statement that -- quote -- "This is a# standard process in any administration.## An ambassador is a personal representative# of the president, and it is the president's## right to ensure that he has individuals in these# countries who advance the America first agenda."

So, for one perspective on this move,## we turn to John Dinkelman.

He is the president# of the American Foreign Service Association.## He had a nearly four-decade diplomatic# career with the U.S.

State Department.

John, thank you so much for being here.

JOHN DINKELMAN, President, American Foreign# Service Association: Thank you for having me.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: How unusual is this# to.. year into an administration?# Is this standard practice?

JOHN DINKELMAN: This is not standard practice.# This is unprecedented.

This is unheard of.

This is a sabotage of the American# diplomatic machine.

This is an## affront to the professional Foreign# Service that we have spent decades,## a century in building in our country.# And I don't know what it foretells.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Sabotage?

JOHN DINKELMAN: Definitely.

When individuals# have spent their lives devoted.. to representing our country overseas, and, en# masse, you tell those who have qualified to## represent our country, to carry out our policies,# to execute any administration, any president's## goals in any given country, when you tell them all# summarily that for some reason they don't qualify,## something is definitely wrong.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, you heard the State# Department's position on this.

They.. this happens with every administration.

Many# of these people were appointed by the Biden## administration, and the president# wants his own people in there.

What do you make of that argument?

JOHN DINKELMAN: This -- it is entirely# incorrect and a misrepresentation of the## reality.

Every American ambassador submits# their resignation to the incoming president,## who either chooses to accept or reject# those resignations at that time.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And all# these ambassadors did that?

JOHN DINKELMAN: All of these ambassadors# did that about one year ago right now.## And the Trump administration not# only refused those resignations,## but actually encouraged the individuals to remain.

Even within the past few weeks, senior-level## Cabinet individuals have visited with# these various ambassadors on trips,## reaffirming the desire of the administration# that they stay in their positions, only to## find them getting a phone call and surreptitiously# being told they haven't until January to get out.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: We know that the U.S.

already# had about 80 vacant ambassadorships before this## event.

Then this comes.

What is your# sense of what the impact is going to## be on our ability to project American power# in ways, soft and hard, all over the world?

JOHN DINKELMAN: Simply put,## we're taking our star play.. These individuals will not be able to exercise the## personal and professional bona fides and# relationships that they have established## over decades.

And what will be very# interesting is who replaces them.

If it's a member of the professional Foreign# Service, I have to worry, as the president## of the Foreign Service Association, what# kind of loyalty oath are they going to## be required to take that demonstrates# their fidelity to the administration,## in addition to the fidelity that they should have# sworn to the Constitution in the first place?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Have you seen any# evidence that there is such a loyalty## oath being passed around to potential candidates?

JOHN DINKELMAN: I have not yet seen# that, and I am looking for it closely.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Have you been hearing -- I# imagine your phone must be ringing off the hook?

JOHN DINKELMAN: Incessantly, yes.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And what are they saying to you?

JOHN DINKELMAN: They're hurt.

They're concerned.# Many of them are afraid.

There.. what in the world they could have done that# would have caused the ire of our leaders.

They have done everything they could to# carry out the policies of the president,## as they would for any elected leader# of our country, because that's what## the Foreign Service does.

But, in this# case, they are left stumped, as am I,## as to what would have caused this en masse# dismissal of our leaders in our Foreign Service.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Is it possible,# just playing devil's advocate, that,## to take the State Department's stated# position, that some of these people were## not enacting what President Trump believes is# an America first agenda in their positions?

JOHN DINKELMAN: I find it inconceivable.

Individuals like myself who have spent# decades trained to make sure that they're## advocating on behalf of our leaders, on behalf# of the elected leaders of the United States,## it is incomprehensible to me# that individuals would do this,## much less 30 or 40 of them en masse# all at once.

It simply cannot happen.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: At the beginning, I# put the list up of all those nations## that were -- where the ambassadors have now# been pulled.

Are there particular nations,## when you look at that list, that you're# -- that concern you specifically?

JOHN DINKELMAN: There's various that concern me,## but I'm particularly interested in what's going# on in Guatemala, where not only our ambassador,## but our deputy chief of mission, both senior# Foreign Service officers with decades of## experience each, have been summarily# told that they are to leave the post.

Given the immigration crisis that the# administration says we are in and the key## role that Guatemala plays in that crisis,# how we could determine that the individuals## in charge of our mission there, on the other# side of that problem, working with the other## side of the equation, are no longer going to be# there and who will fill that gap is beyond me.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: You mentioned earlier to one# of my colleagues the concern that you have that,## if every new administration comes in and# basically guts the corps, civil service,## what that does to America's ability to enact# its foreign policy.

What did you mean by that?

JOHN DINKELMAN: It will politicize us as# a profession.

We come into the service## sworn loyal to the Constitution and nothing# else.

And when presidents change -- I myself## have been through six different presidents and# have served willingly under each one of them.

I know that the thousands of men and women in# the Foreign Service will continue to do so,## because that's what they were sworn to do.

If,# on the other hand, we start to move our people## in and out with every administration, it's going# to deplete our ability as diplomats to get the## job done.

It will hurt our credibility# and it will hurt our nation in general.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: John Dinkelman,# thank you so much for being here.

JOHN DINKELMAN: Thank you.