US closes consulates in allied countries as part of Trump's America First agenda

The State Department announced the closure of five U.S. diplomatic missions in allied countries as part of a broader push to align with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.

The closures are slated to impact U.S. posts in St. George’s, Grenada; Nagoya, Japan; Medan, Indonesia; Douala, Cameroon; and Winnipeg, Canada, according to people familiar with the matter. The axed missions include a U.S. embassy in St. George, U.S. consulates in Nagoya, Medan, and Winnipeg, and other embassy branches.

Officials first considered closing nearly a dozen diplomatic missions as part of Trump’s agenda.

The White House Office of Management and Budget previously pushed for even deeper cuts, too, targeting as many as 30 overseas posts, according to reports.

Supporters of the plan argued that smaller diplomatic missions are costly and no longer essential, but critics warned that the closures could weaken U.S. influence abroad.

Democrats and former foreign policy and national security officials argued that shrinking America’s diplomatic presence — especially when combined with the gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development — risks opening up avenues for rivals like China and Russia to expand its influence instead.

The State Department underwent a major reorganization last year that eliminated dozens of bureaus and hundreds of positions — but no overseas missions were targeted during that sweep, which was spurred by the Department of Government Efficiency.

The State Department refused to confirm any plans but said it’s committed to ensuring the U.S. diplomatic network remains “efficient and effective” while also following congressional notification requirements.

Secretary of State Marco defended the administration’s cost-cutting efforts and said they’re needed to “right-size” a department many conservatives view as overly large and bureaucratic.

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Consulates and branches typically represent U.S. interests outside a country’s capital, where the main embassy is usually located.

During the Biden administration, the U.S. expanded its diplomatic presence in the Pacific, launching new missions as Washington sought to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

China maintains diplomatic missions in the aforementioned cities except in Douala and Winnipeg, where it does not have a presence.