One U.S. diplomat describes being laid off amid sweeping cuts

By Michele Kelemen

Published December 12, 2025 at 6:06 PM EST

After 14 years as a U.S. diplomat, one officer talks about being laid off in the State Department's sweeping cuts, losing both career and professional identity.

Michele Kelemen

Michele Kelemen has been with NPR for two decades, starting as NPR's Moscow bureau chief and now covering the State Department and Washington's diplomatic corps. Her reports can be heard on all NPR News programs, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

See stories by Michele Kelemen

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