Top Trump State Department official Michael Anton to depart in the fall

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico

08/27/2025 02:39 PM EDT Updated: 08/27/2025 07:21 PM EDT


Michael Anton, an influential adviser to the secretary of State, is leaving his role at the department. A senior Trump administration official and a Senate aide said Anton plans to depart this fall. The State Department later confirmed that he is leaving his post.

Anton, who directs the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, has been a low-profile but powerful presence with major roles on Russia, Iran and other foreign policy matters, including helping shape President Donald Trump’s still-unpublished national security strategy.

With Secretary of State Marco Rubio also serving as the national security adviser, a handful of political appointees such as Anton and Counselor Mike Needham have taken on more of the daily responsibilities of running the State Department.

Anton is expected to leave as the Trump administration wraps up writing the national security strategy, of which he is a lead author, according to the senior administration official. The official, and others, were granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. It was not clear if Anton was leaving the administration altogether, or might take on another role.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/27/michael-anton-state-department-depart-00530795