WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered diplomats to return to using the Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor Antony Blinken’s decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity measure, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.

Blinken’s department in early January 2023 had switched to Calibri, a modern sans-serif font, saying it was a more accessible font for people with disabilities because it did not have the decorative angular features and was the default in Microsoft products.

A cable dated Dec. 9 sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts said typography shapes the professionalism of an official document and Calibri is informal compared to serif typefaces.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian officials Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Hallandale Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian officials Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Hallandale Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

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“To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish another wasteful DEIA program, the Department is returning to using Times New Roman as its standard typeface,” the cable said.

“This formatting standard aligns with the President’s One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations directive, underscoring the Department’s responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications,” he added.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some studies suggest that sans-serif fonts, such as Calibri, are easier to read for people with certain visual impairments.

Trump, a Republican, acted quickly after taking office in January to root out federal DEI programs and discourage them in the private sector and education, including ordering the firing of diversity officials at federal agencies and withdrawing grants for a wide range of programs.

DEI policies became widespread after nationwide protests in 2020 against police killings of unarmed Black people, sparking a conservative backlash. Trump and other critics of diversity initiatives say they are discriminatory against men and white people and have eroded merit-based decision making.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Don Durfee and Lisa Shumaker)