Ideas

Trump’s Missing Ambassadors Are a Sign of a Deeper Problem

Around the world, more than 100 of the country’s ambassadorships are unfilled.

First published in The Atlantic on May 26, 2026.

by Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

May 28, 2026 | reading time: 6 Min.

The United States is fighting, in some form or another, with almost everyone. America’s in a hot war with Iran and a cold war with China and Russia (even if President Trump hasn’t figured that out). Trump has ignited various trade wars, and keeps talking up a possible conflict with Cuba. And just for good measure, the president seems still obsessed with grabbing Greenland, which would spark a confrontation with NATO, the most powerful and successful alliance in history—and one supposedly led by Washington.