State Department

The State Department has announced a major change to the Visa Interview Waiver Program, commonly referred to as the "Dropbox" process, reverting eligibility requirements to pre-pandemic standards.

The move, which was made official on Thursday, means that many nonimmigrant visa holders who once qualified for interview waivers may now have to undergo in-person interviews at U.S. consulates.

Though Rubio’s more thoughtful reorganization beats Trump’s wrecking ball.

The Trump administration revealed two plans to “reform” the State Department in April: a White House plan that was leaked to the media, and a plan from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that came equipped with old and new org charts plus official explanations from Rubio himself.

If you had “State Department” on your DOGE bingo card as the next agency teed up, mark yourself a winner. But are tough times ahead for Foggy Bottom?

I am a human rights activist and advocate for my country — Macedonia — and for its language and its culture.

As an American taxpayer, you have probably never heard of me. You might not know much about Macedonia or even be able to find it on a map.

But here’s one thing you have a right to know: Millions of your taxpayer dollars were spent to foment a political crisis in my country, to overthrow its government, and even to defame me personally.

On Tuesday, The Free Press had a major scoop: The State Department is launching its biggest shake-up in decades in an effort spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The reorganization, done with the help of Elon Musk and DOGE, looks to eliminate 132 agency offices dedicated to efforts like advancing democracy and combating extremism. It will also lead to the State Department eliminating hundreds of positions intended for career officials. Additionally, top officials are being asked to reduce their offices by an additional 15 percent.

The Trump administration has begun an aggressive shake-up at the State Department that will close 132 agency offices, including those launched to further human rights, advance democracy overseas, counter extremism, and prevent war crimes.

Peter Marocco, the Trump administration official in charge of dismantling USAID, left a meeting at the White House last week to return to his office at the State Department. But when he arrived, Marocco could not enter the building: security told him he was no longer an employee there, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The Trump administration could cut nearly 50 percent of the State Department’s funding next fiscal year, according to an internal memo laying out a downsizing plan being given serious consideration by department leaders, said two U.S. officials. The plan was drawn up as the White House pressures agencies to make significant budget cuts.

An internal White House memo proposes cutting the budgets of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by nearly half in fiscal 2026, according to new reporting from The Washington Post.

The early proposal for the fiscal 2026 budget would allocate $28.4 billion for State and USAID — down $27 billion, or approximately 48 percent, from the $54.4 billion in the 2025 budget, according to the Post.

President Donald Trump's administration is weighing a dramatic reduction in foreign affairs funding, with a proposal to slash the combined budgets of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development by nearly half in fiscal 2026, according to an internal memo reviewed by The Washington Post, The Hill reported.