Rubio reverts to Times New Roman instead of Calibri

(Patria) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has 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 policy move, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.

The department under Blinken switched to Calibri, a modern sans-serif font, in early January 2023, saying it was a more accessible font for people with disabilities as it lacks decorative angular features and is the default font in Microsoft products.

The December 9 cable sent to all US diplomatic missions stated that typography shapes the professionalism of an official document, and Calibri is informal compared to serif fonts.

"To restore the dignity and professionalism of the Department’s written work products and to eliminate another wasteful DEI program, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard font," the cable stated.

"This formatting standard aligns with the President’s directive ‘One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,’ emphasizing the Department’s responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications," it added.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Some studies suggest that sans-serif fonts, like Calibri, are easier to read for people with certain visual impairments.

Trump, a Republican, moved quickly after taking office in January to dismantle federal DEI programs and discourage them in the private sector and education, including directing the firing of diversity officers at federal agencies and rescinding grants for a wide spectrum of programs.

DEI policies became more widespread following national 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 white people and men and have undermined merit-based decision-making.