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He allegedly called the move to Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move.
A shift in typography has reignited an ideological dispute inside the U.S. foreign-policy establishment.
An internal cable, reviewed by Reuters, shows Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rescinded a 2023 change to the fonts used in government correspondence.
The directive reverses former secretary Antony Blinken’s move to adopt Calibri, which officials at the time described as more accessible for readers with visual impairments.
Rubio framed the earlier switch as unnecessary and politically driven.
Font politics
According to Reuters, the December 9 cable told embassies and missions that the look of written communication helps define the department’s professionalism.
It argued that Calibri’s sans-serif style appeared too casual for diplomatic records.
“To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface,” the cable stated.
Accessibility debate
Blinken’s 2023 order cited advice that sans-serif designs can improve readability for some people with disabilities.
Studies have often pointed to simpler letterforms as helpful for certain visual conditions, though there is no universal consensus.
The State Department did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on Rubio’s reversal.
Reuters noted that President Trump moved broadly to dismantle federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs after taking office, directing agencies to dismiss diversity officers and cut related grants.
DEI initiatives expanded after protests over police violence in 2020, but conservative critics, including Trump, have argued they disadvantage white workers and weaken merit-based systems.
Sources: Reuters
