US Secretary of State Marco Rubio entered the controversial font policy on Tuesday (9), with an order that suspends the State Department’s official use of the Calibri font, reversing a 2023 directive from Joe Biden’s administration that Rubio called an “unnecessary” concession to diversity.
Although presented primarily as a matter of clarity and formality in presentation, Rubio’s directive to all diplomatic missions around the world blamed “radical” diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs for what he saw as an ill-advised and ineffective shift from the Times New Roman serif font to the sans-serif Calibri font in official department documents.
In a “request for action” memo obtained by The New York Times, Rubio said a return to the use of Times New Roman would “restore decorum and professionalism to the department’s written records.” Calibri is “informal” compared to serif fonts like Times New Roman, the order says, and “conflicts” with the department’s official letterhead. A State Department official confirmed the authenticity of the document.
Rubio’s directive, titled “Return to Tradition: New Mandatory 14-Point Roman Font for All Department Documents,” represents the Trump administration’s latest attempt to eliminate the remnants of diversity initiatives in the federal government.
Then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken ordered the police change in 2023 on the recommendation of the State Department’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which Rubio later abolished. The change was intended to improve accessibility for readers with disabilities, such as low vision and dyslexia, and for people who use assistive technology, such as screen readers.
The Calibri font, sometimes described as soft and modern, is generally considered more accessible to people with reading difficulties thanks to its simpler shapes and wider spacing, which makes it easier to distinguish between letters. Blinken’s decision was applauded by accessibility advocates.
But Rubio’s order rejected the reasons for the change. The exchange, he admitted, “was not among the department’s most illegal, immoral, radical or costly examples of Deia (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility).” But Rubio called it a failure of the agency’s standards, saying “instances of accessibility-based document remediation” had not decreased.
“The move to Calibri has only resulted in the degradation of the department’s official correspondence,” Rubio said. He noted that Times New Roman was the department’s official font for nearly 20 years until the 2023 change. Before 2004, the State Department used Courier New.
Echoing President Donald Trump’s call for a classical style in federal architecture, Rubio’s order cited the origins of serif fonts in ancient Rome. These fonts, used by the New York Times, have small lines at the end of characters.
Admirers say these flourishes make the letters look sleeker and easier to distinguish, although they can also create a cluttered feeling.
Serif fonts are “generally perceived as evoking tradition, formality, and ceremony,” Rubio’s order states, adding that they have been used by the White House, the Supreme Court, and other state and federal government entities, as well as on the side letters of Air Force One.
Many diplomats are unhappy with Rubio’s changes to the department’s structure and leadership and have reported a sharp decline in morale among its members. But the Biden administration’s move to Calibri sparked some complaints from traditionalists who preferred Times New Roman. Blinken also changed the default font size from 14 to 15 points, requiring more keystrokes, which some diplomats found irritating.
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