Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again pulled the United States out of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), repeating a move he previously ordered during his first term in office.
The decision, announced by the White House on Tuesday, marks the second time Trump has withdrawn from the Paris based UN agency.
Trump’s UNESCO withdrawal reflects deeper push against global institutions
The US exit from UNESCO will formally take effect on December 31, 2026. The agency, founded after World War II to promote peace and cooperation through culture, education, and science, had only recently welcomed the US back under President Joe Biden’s administration.
Explaining the latest withdrawal, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said President Trump believes UNESCO promotes “woke, divisive cultural and social causes” that clash with what she called “commonsense policies” endorsed by American voters.
The US State Department added that remaining in UNESCO no longer aligns with US national interests. It accused the agency of pushing a “globalist, ideological agenda” in international development that contradicts Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.
UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay said she deeply regretted the decision but noted that it was anticipated. “UNESCO has prepared for it,” she said, pointing out that the agency had diversified its funding sources and now receives only 8% of its budget from the U.S.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed firm support for UNESCO following the announcement. “Unwavering support for UNESCO, universal protector of science, the ocean, education, culture, and world heritage,” he wrote on social media. “The withdrawal of the United States will not weaken our commitment to those who are fighting this battle.”
This is not the first time Trump has targeted multilateral institutions. During his first term, he withdrew the US from several major international agreements and organizations, including the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Paris Climate Agreement.
While President Biden had reversed many of those decisions, Trump’s return to power has seen several of those withdrawals reinstated.
UNESCO officials acknowledged that the US withdrawal will affect some of the programs it was funding, but stressed that the agency is prepared to continue its mission without American support.
The move has sparked criticism from global leaders and institutions who view UNESCO as an important platform for cultural preservation and scientific cooperation.
It also raises new questions about the future of US engagement in global affairs as Washington appears increasingly divided over its role in multilateral diplomacy..
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