US President Donald Trump plans to withdraw the United States again from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which oversees education, science and culture, on the grounds that the organization's ideological agenda does not serve America's national interests.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: "President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO - an organization that supports 'woke' and divisive cultural and social causes that is completely out of touch with the pragmatic policies that Americans voted for in November. This president will always put America first and ensure that our country's membership in all international organizations is consistent with the national interest."
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasized that UNESCO “focuses too much on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a globalized and ideological international development agenda that runs counter to our ‘America First’ foreign policy.”
In recent years, the United States has provided about one-fifth of UNESCO's funding.
Trump withdrew the United States from UNESCO during his first term, a decision his successor Joe Biden reversed. In addition to UNESCO, Trump also criticized United Nations agencies such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Council, and tried to withdraw the United States from these agencies.
Bruce also criticized UNESCO for allowing Palestine to join as a member state, saying it fueled anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization. She said the U.S. withdrawal would take effect at the end of 2026.