Marco Rubio unveils major restructuring of the US State Department

The US State Department announced a sweeping restructure with plans to eliminate 132 offices and 700 positions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the reorganization would undo “decades of bloat.”

US diplomats were anxious about the planned cuts, especially after a purported draft executive order circulated over the weekend calling for shutting down some operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

The plan announced Tuesday doesn’t cut that bureau, but does target others focused on human rights, war crimes, and democracy.

The State Department is stuck in an outdated world order and does need reform, former US ambassador Michael McFaul acknowledged — but scaling back Washington’s presence abroad “would be disastrous for American national interests.”