The Washington Post: The Trump administration is withdrawing the United States from UNESCO, accusing the agency of supporting “woke, divisive cultural and social causes.”
“President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO — which supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in an emailed statement. “This President will always put America First and ensure our country’s membership in all international organizations aligns with our national interests.”
The U.S. informed UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay on Tuesday of its decision to withdraw, and it will remain a full member until the withdrawal takes effect on Dec. 31, 2026, according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
In 2017, during his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of UNESCO — the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — citing an alleged anti-Israel bias. The U.S. rejoined UNESCO in 2023 under President Joe Biden. In February, shortly after Trump took office again, he ordered a 90-day review of the country’s UNESCO membership, with a focus on “any anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization,” the White House said in a statement.
This time, Bruce cited UNESCO’s decision to admit Palestine as a member state, calling it “highly problematic” and one of the reasons the U.S. is withdrawing.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he welcomed the Trump administration’s decision, thanking the United States for its “moral support and leadership.”
“This is a necessary step, designed to promote justice and Israel’s right for fair treatment in the UN system, a right which has often been trampled due to politicization in this arena. … The United Nations requires fundamental reforms in order to remain relevant,” he said.
