US Embassy in Malta among missions at risk as Trump administration plans State Department cuts

The US Embassy in Malta is among ten American embassies being considered for closure as part of a sweeping cost-cutting plan by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, according to internal planning documents obtained by Reuters.

The draft proposal, still in the internal review stage, suggests cutting the State Department’s budget by almost half—from $54.4 billion to $28.4 billion—for the 2026 fiscal year. Among the most dramatic elements of the plan is the potential closure of 27 U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide, including embassies in Europe and Africa.

Malta is specifically named in a separate memo reviewed by Reuters as one of the countries where the closure of the U.S. embassy is under serious consideration. The other embassies identified for possible shutdown include those in Luxembourg, Eritrea, the Gambia, and the Maldives.

The drastic cuts form part of a broader push to shrink the federal government, spearheaded by both the White House Office of Management and Budget and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk.

If implemented, the proposal would also eliminate key foreign aid programs, such as USAID, and axe longstanding initiatives like the Fulbright educational and cultural exchange program. Meanwhile, funding for international disaster relief and refugee programs would be replaced by smaller, more limited initiatives focused on “urgent and new crises”.

Although Congress has historically resisted Trump’s efforts to scale back diplomatic and foreign aid spending, the internal documents suggest the administration may push forward aggressively with its cost-cutting agenda ahead of the 2026 budget.