Career diplomats seeking promotion at the US State Department have been asked whether they voted for Donald Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, while contributions to Democratic candidates could jeopardize their advancement, a report says.

The Washington Sun cited six current and former State Department officials familiar with the questioning, three of whom said they had spoken directly with people who faced the questions.

Voting for Trump could affect candidates’ prospects for mid-level and senior Foreign Service positions, and officials also examined their political donation histories, the report says.

The practice has raised concerns about federal laws prohibiting employment decisions based on political affiliation, as career diplomats are expected to serve successive administrations without partisan discrimination.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said lawmakers are preparing to investigate whether political affiliation was influencing federal employment decisions.

Shaheen stressed that diplomats in critical national security positions should be selected for their experience and ability rather than their political loyalty.

The State Department declined to comment directly on the voting questions but defended its promotion standards, saying “fidelity” means upholding the Constitution, and “completely aligning oneself and one’s team to the most current [US government] goals.”

The department introduced a “fidelity” category into its Foreign Service promotion criteria in July 2025, requiring employees to demonstrate their commitment to executing the Trump administration’s policy and protecting executive power.

The department has also changed its Foreign Service Officer Test, which applicants must pass to enter the diplomatic service, with one test-taker describing questions about Ronald Reagan’s tax policies and former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s achievements.

The candidate said the questions gave the impression that the test favored particular political answers rather than simply identifying the highest-scoring applicants.

Macron slams Trump, other foreign leaders for ‘stupid comments’ on France protests for political gain

The French president has criticized Trump and some other foreign leaders for their ‘stupid comments’ about the recent street unrest in France.

The screening comes amid a wider effort by the Trump administration to reshape the diplomatic service, with nine current and former employees telling the Washington Sun that senior officers have faced stalled careers, fewer promotion opportunities and pressure to leave.

The department has increasingly relied on the Benjamin Franklin Fellowship, a network founded in 2024 by Trump-aligned current and former officials, to identify candidates for recruitment and promotion.

The administration has also downgraded several senior diplomatic posts, frozen embassy positions and set aside fewer ambassadorships for career diplomats, narrowing advancement opportunities for experienced officers.