In a move that drew significant controversy, President Donald Trump dismissed all members of the Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation via email in May. The committee, tasked with overseeing the accuracy, transparency, and declassification of the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series, was informed of the terminations by White House liaison Cate Dillon, without an official explanation. Critics noted that some former members, including historian Timothy Naftali and committee chairman James Goldgeier, had previously made anti-Trump remarks, suggesting the decision may have been politically motivated. Goldgeier, a vocal critic of Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in 2020, warned that the committee’s dissolution could undermine the congressional mandate to preserve historical transparency in U.S. diplomacy. He also emphasized that their work pertained only to declassified records from previous administrations, not current policy.
Despite the mass removal, a senior State Department official clarified that the committee would not be eliminated but repopulated with less politically controversial appointees. The move comes amid rising approval ratings for Trump, with a late-May Trafalgar Group poll showing a significant increase in public support. Approval jumped to 54%, an 8-point gain since April, even as the poll oversampled Democrats. A similar trend was reflected in Rasmussen’s tracker, showing Trump near his inauguration-week approval levels. This shift in public opinion has fueled speculation that Trump’s actions, including the committee overhaul, may resonate with a growing portion of the electorate.
