America’s Diplomat Shortage Is a Self-Inflicted Wound

The White House’s struggles to negotiate an off-ramp in Iran are a reminder of how crucial skilled diplomacy can be. Yet the State Department appears intent on purging and politicizing the ranks of the nation’s top envoys. Congress has a duty to push back.

Out of 195 ambassadorial postings around the world, more than 110 sat empty as of early March — including in countries as vital to US interests as Germany and South Korea. Nearly three dozen of those openings were created after the administration abruptly recalled a slew of career diplomats at the end of last year. Traditionally, career foreign-service officers have occupied roughly two-thirds of available positions, with the rest handed out to political appointees. That proportion has now reversed. Worse: Only six out of the 75 ambassadors nominated by the president in his second term have been trained diplomats.