U.S. Quits UNESCO—America First Takes on Global ‘Woke’ Agenda
In a striking move that underscores his unapologetic America First leadership, President Donald Trump (R) has once again set a bold example for putting national interests above globalist ideologies by announcing the withdrawal of the United States from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This landmark decision comes amid persistent frustrations over the agency’s left-wing drift, anti-Israel stance, and growing push for divisive social agendas at odds with traditional American values. In the wake of the 2024 reelection, President Trump (R) wasted no time acting on his campaign pledge to stand strong against international institutions that undermine U.S. interests or sovereignty.
According to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the continued participation in UNESCO “is not in the national interest of the United States.” Echoing the sentiments of many conservatives nationwide, the Trump administration cited years of mounting concern about UNESCO’s support for ‘woke’ causes and persistent bias against Israel—notably since its controversial admission of Palestine as a member state back in 2011. Bruce pointed to UNESCO’s increasingly rigid commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), explaining how these priorities directly contradict the America First philosophy of economic freedom, parental rights in education, and U.S. sovereignty over domestic issues. (source).
“We’ve seen this organization move from cultural heritage to activism. America must always put our own people and our ally Israel first—not pander to radical global interests.”
This is hardly the first time the U.S. has pushed back against UNESCO’s left-leaning agenda. The Reagan (R) administration withdrew from UNESCO in 1984, citing financial mismanagement and blatant anti-U.S. bias—a move then reversed by President George W. Bush (R) in 2003 after supposed reforms. For many on the right, UNESCO’s spiral has become only more pronounced in recent years, making the current withdrawal all the more inevitable. Trump’s return to power reaffirmed the promise of a leader who will not back down from defending American values on the world stage.
With this move, American taxpayers will no longer be forced to underwrite an international agency that consistently undermines America’s closest allies and democratic principles. While critics in the media and the global left express outrage over supposed losses to global cooperation, Trump’s supporters are celebrating renewed clarity and courage in foreign policy. The U.S. exit delivers a clear message: no more blank checks for ‘woke’ bureaucracies or anti-Israel hypocrisy in the UN system.
Inside the Decision: Antisemitism, Pro-China Influence, and Woke Globalism
The Trump administration’s withdrawal from UNESCO didn’t come out of thin air. Among the loudest complaints are UNESCO’s ongoing anti-Israel and even antisemitic stances—a trend going back at least to the agency’s infamous labeling of Jewish holy sites as “Palestinian World Heritage” locations, erasing centuries of Jewish history. Israeli officials have applauded Trump’s bold stand, describing it as the long-overdue correction for years of bias in global forums. As White House officials and State Department spokespeople have repeatedly stated, defending Israel and American interests is non-negotiable. (source).
But the problems go deeper. Since UNESCO admitted Palestine as a member in 2011, the organization has grown more openly hostile toward democratic and free-market nations while welcoming Chinese (CCP) expansion and influence in its programming. Washington conservative leaders stress that UNESCO’s growing focus on “global citizenship” and its zeal for SDGs, gender ideologies, and woke narratives actively undermine parental rights, local control, and religious liberties in American classrooms. President Trump (R) is keeping his promise to shield American children and families from foreign activists and bureaucrats who don’t share core values.
“The U.S. taxpayer should never subsidize organizations that demonize our friends and dictate what our kids must learn at home. UNESCO’s leftist priorities do not belong in our schools or policies.”
Unlike the broad, unaccountable language of global engagement, the Trump administration’s assessment was sharp and fact-driven. The U.S. has seen its share of UNESCO’s budget dwindle from 20 percent in the 1980s to about 8 percent today—another sign of declining returns for American investment in an agency increasingly distant from U.S. values and priorities (source).
Critics warn that the withdrawal could reduce U.S. participation in international education and cultural exchanges. Projects like Education for Sustainable Development and global citizenship will move forward without direct U.S. input, but, as conservative policy voices stress, such programs have drifted away from their original missions and become vehicles for ideological activism rather than mutual learning (source).
Trump’s supporters are welcoming an era in which American influence is projected less through international groupthink and more through strong, direct bilateral partnerships with true allies. While Director-General Audrey Azoulay and French President Emmanuel Macron have bemoaned the withdrawal, insisting UNESCO is “financially prepared,” those invested in sovereignty and cultural integrity see the exit as a forceful reassertion of U.S. priorities on the world stage.
UNESCO in American Perspective: Historic Battles and a Conservative Vision for Culture
Today’s conservative revolution in U.S. foreign policy can’t be fully understood without looking at the history of U.S.-UNESCO relations. The United States first joined the Paris-based agency after World War II to help rebuild a free world based on education and cultural cooperation. But as Cold War politics heated up, UNESCO grew mired in ideological battles and bloated bureaucracy, causing the Reagan (R) administration to leave in 1984 citing budget waste and relentless anti-Americanism (source).
President George W. Bush (R) rejoined in 2003 after being assured that UNESCO had righted its course. But, over two decades, new fractures emerged as the agency abandoned neutrality and ramped up social activism. As UNESCO placed greater focus on sustainability, gender theories, and radical progressivism—often cloaked as human rights—longstanding American values faded into the background. Especially troubling for conservatives is UNESCO’s push to tie local U.S. policies to international compacts on education and gender identity, shifting decision-making power away from parents and local authorities. This would force our schools and communities to comply with values set by unelected global officials rather than American citizens.
“UNESCO’s World Heritage program is something many Americans admire, from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty,” said a cultural policy adviser. “But the agency’s ability to protect heritage sites is threatened by its own obsession with political agendas. President Trump’s decision restores balance and priorities.”
According to National Geographic, UNESCO’s best-known achievement—the World Heritage Sites registry—includes treasured American icons such as Yellowstone National Park, the Statue of Liberty, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpieces (source). Yet even these programs are increasingly politicized, as global debates over ownership and cultural identity have become battlegrounds for ideological agendas rather than collaborative conservation. Trump’s critics in the media wring their hands over declining U.S. influence, but many at home say it’s time to reset relations: protecting our past should never mean bowing to woke dogma or anti-American UN committees.
As the Trump (R) administration pauses all U.S. foreign aid for review, every American can see that strong leadership demands courage to say no to failed institutions and to defend faith, family, and freedom. With exit from UNESCO official and more reviews to follow, conservative voices are urging Congress to back the President’s push for real reform in international partnerships—building on common sense, shared values, and sovereignty rather than fleeting global approval.