\n Changes by the Trump administration have left US diplomats demoralized and less able to do their jobs, according to a scathing new report by the union representing foreign service officers.\n <\/p>\n
\n The report, based on a survey of foreign service members, found that a vast majority of respondents \u2014 98% \u2014 said morale had declined since January, and a third were considering leaving the foreign service early.\n <\/p>\n
\n Twenty-five percent of the foreign service has \u201cresigned, retired, seen their agencies dismantled, or been removed from their posts\u201d since January, the report said, and more are considering leaving.\n <\/p>\n
\n The findings of the report from the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) underscore concerns voiced for months by career diplomats and foreign policy experts about the negative impact of the Trump administration\u2019s sweeping changes<\/a> to the State Department and foreign assistance programs.\n <\/p>\n \n Scores of diplomats have lost their jobs due to the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). More than 240 foreign service officers were given termination notices in July, to take effect later in the year, as part of the State Department\u2019s drastic reorganization<\/a>. The report is being released as the department moves forward with those terminations, which AFSA has said is in violation of the law.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe U.S. Foreign Service is being systematically undermined by its own leadership,\u201d AFSA President John Dinkelman warned in the report, which is set to be released on Wednesday afternoon. \u201cThe Foreign Service\u2014the very institution tasked with navigating our global interests\u2014is being dismantled in real time.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n More than 2,100 AFSA members responded to the survey, which was conducted between August and September of this year.\n <\/p>\n \n Eighty-six percent said policy changes made by the Trump administration \u201chave negatively affected their ability to implement the foreign policy of the United States,\u201d according to the forthcoming report, a copy of which was obtained by CNN. Just 1% of respondents reported any improvement, the report said.\n <\/p>\n \n Many survey respondents reported diplomatic work is now more difficult because of cuts in budgets and staff and \u201cdiminished credibility.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Most said that \u201ckey projects and initiatives are being delayed or suspended\u201d and that they \u201care managing significantly heavier workloads due to staffing losses.\u201d Forty-six percent \u201creport new obstacles in negotiating with foreign counterparts\u201d due to the changes implemented by the administration.\n <\/p>\n \n CNN has reached out to the State Department about the report.\n <\/p>\n