President Donald Trump’s top diplomat in Africa, Troy Fitrell, will retire from the State Department at the end of the month.
Jonathan Pratt, the Bureau of African Affairs deputy assistant secretary, will take his position. Fitrell, a foreign service diplomat, formerly served as the US ambassador to Guinea.
He has held various positions at the State Department throughout Africa, including director of the Offices of Western and Southern African Affairs.
He also served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the US embassies in Ethiopia and Mauritius.
“After a long and distinguished career, the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs Senior Bureau Official Ambassador Troy Fitrell is retiring as planned,” a State Department spokesperson said.
“The Bureau of African Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jonathan Pratt will step into the Senior Bureau Official role after Ambassador Fitrell’s departure,” the official added.
Fitrell has been leading the State Department’s African bureau since the Senate-confirmed assistant secretary position remains unfilled.
Fitrell, who has been a diplomat for over 30 years, recently stated that the Trump administration is shifting the United States’ approach to Africa from “one rooted primarily in development assistance to a strategy that prioritizes robust commercial engagement.”
Pratt, who will follow Fitrell, previously served as the United States ambassador to Djibouti from 2021-2023. He also held additional missions with the State Department, serving in Pakistan, Sudan, and Angola.
This is the second high-profile figure to step away from the administration recently.
The military commander who announced his resignation is responsible for the Pentagon’s intensifying operations against vessels in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration alleges are engaged in drug smuggling.
Adm. Alvin Holsey, the officer in charge of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees operations in Central and South America, is stepping down from his position, despite the Pentagon’s swift deployment of approximately 10,000 troops in the region for what it describes as a significant counterdrug and counterterrorism initiative.
The reason for Admiral Holsey’s abrupt departure, occurring less than a year into a typically three-year tenure and amidst the most significant operation of his 37-year career, remains unexplained.
However, one current and one former U.S. official, both speaking anonymously on personnel issues, indicated that Admiral Holsey had expressed apprehensions about the mission and the assaults on the purported drug vessels.
In a statement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth avoided mentioning any friction with his four-star commander.
“On behalf of the Department of War,” Hegseth said, adding, “We extend our deepest gratitude to Admiral Alvin Holsey for his more than 37 years of distinguished service to our nation as he plans to retire at year’s end.”
Some Pentagon officials said there were policy tensions concerning Venezuela that the admiral opposed and that misaligned with the Trump administration.
This comes as Trump hinted this week that he may already know who he wants to pick if there’s another U.S. Supreme Court vacancy.
Trump joked during a White House ceremony that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, should be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, quipping that lawmakers in both parties would quickly vote to confirm him because they would be eager to see him leave the Senate.
Trump made the remarks Monday during the official launch of the Trump Accounts program, a savings initiative championed by Cruz that was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The president praised Cruz’s legal abilities before jokingly suggesting he would make a strong Supreme Court justice, adding a lighthearted remark that drew laughter from those in attendance.
“In fact, somebody said, ‘Would you ever appoint him to the United States Supreme Court?’ Because he’s a brilliant lawyer, Ted. I said, ‘Well, he’s the only one I can think of that’s going to get 100 votes,’” Trump said, per the Washington Examiner.
“All Republicans will vote for him, all Democrats will vote for him, because they want to get him the h*** out of the Senate,” Trump said, drawing laughter from those in the Oval.
“If I was having a hard time with getting the votes, I would appoint Ted Cruz. I’d get 100%, guaranteed,” the president added.
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