The United States will withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by the end of December 2026, citing what the Trump administration calls the organization’s persistent anti-Israel bias and its support for progressive social initiatives.
The decision, confirmed Tuesday via White House sources speaking to the New York Post, comes just two years after the US rejoined UNESCO under President Joe Biden.
“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 deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly told the New York Post.
UNESCO and the White House did not immediately confirm the US move.
This marks the third time that the United States has pulled out of the Paris-based agency, and the second under Donald Trump.
The US previously left under Ronald Reagan in 1984 and again during Trump’s first term in 2017, before rejoining in 2023 under Biden.
Trump’s review flags DEI efforts and perceived anti-semitism
In February, Trump ordered a 90-day review of the US role in UNESCO.
The review highlighted dissatisfaction with the agency’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as its handling of Israel-Palestine issues and perceived growing Chinese influence.
Key sticking points included a 2023 “anti-racism toolkit” that urged countries to implement “anti-racist” policies and a 2024 initiative titled “Transforming MEN’talities,” which sought to challenge gender norms and promote equality, including through video games.
Gabriela Ramos, assistant director-general for social and human sciences at UNESCO, previously defended the gaming report: “It is not only about controlling the negative impacts, but also relying on video games to address socio-cultural stereotypes and encourage positive, antidiscriminatory behaviors.”
But Trump’s team views these efforts as ideologically driven.
Criticism over Israel-Palestine stance and China’s role
“Meanwhile, UNESCO used its Executive Board to force through anti-Israel and anti-Jewish actions, including designating Jewish holy sites as “Palestinian World Heritage” sites,” the White House official said in the Post report.
The US and Israel had ceased funding the agency in 2011 after Palestine was admitted as a full member.
Officials further objected to China’s rising influence, pointing to Beijing being the second-largest donor to UNESCO and Chinese national Xing Qu serving as the deputy director-general.
A political divide over global engagement
UNESCO is likely to take the US decision in stride.
Many officials expected a reversal following Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign and the review ordered earlier this year.
The withdrawal is viewed as part of a broader shift away from multilateral institutions that characterized Trump’s first term.
The Biden administration had rejoined UNESCO in 2023, pitching the move as essential for reasserting American leadership and countering Chinese influence on global cultural and scientific discourse.
For now, the US will remain a member through 2026, but the decision once again highlights how American policy toward international bodies can swing dramatically between administrations.
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