Skip to content

Friday, May. 24, 2024

Has the US ‘lost’ seven embassies during Joe Biden’s presidency, the most under any president?


no

During Joe Biden’s presidency, three U.S. embassies — in Afghanistan, Belarus and Sudan — suspended and have not resumed operations, each following unrest in those countries.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., recently claimed at the Wisconsin Republican convention the embassies were “lost,” though they still operate, just from different countries.

U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., cited a total of seven actions in a March letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The letter cited the three suspensions, noting the unrest in those countries. It also referenced evacuation of non-emergency personnel, family or non-essential personnel in Burma, Russia, Niger and Haiti, but those operations were not suspended.

A State Department spokesperson told Wisconsin Watch there have been a total of 29 embassy evacuations, ordered or authorized, under Biden and there were 37 under President Donald Trump.

An embassy is an official headquarters for U.S. diplomats and government representatives serving in a foreign country.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.

Learn More

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.