President Trump is pulling the United States out of UNESCO, accusing the U.N.’s cultural agency of backing “woke, divisive cultural and social causes” that conflict with the administration’s priorities.
The move follows the U.S. reentry into UNESCO under Joe Biden in 2023, reversing Trump’s first-term withdrawal over similar concerns. Trump had ordered a 90-day review of U.S. participation in February, requesting a report on potential anti-Semitism or anti-Israel bias within the organization.
The U.S. previously exited UNESCO in 2017 under Trump, citing anti-Israel bias. It had also stopped funding the agency during the Obama administration after UNESCO granted full membership to the Palestinian Authority in 2011. The Reagan administration withdrew in 1984 before President George W. Bush rejoined two decades later.
Trump and his senior aides have consistently criticized the United Nations, particularly over its response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. UNESCO, headquartered in Paris, oversees programs like the World Heritage Fund and the International Fund for Cultural Diversity.
