After withdrawing from global bodies like WHO and the UN Human Rights Council, the Trump administration may withdraw the United States from the United Nations itself. Republican lawmakers have already introduced legislation advocating for the withdrawal citing the UN’s failure to promote American interests and aligning with Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Spearheaded by Senator Mike Lee of Utah, the “Disengaging Entirely from the United Nations Debacle (DEFUND) Act” aims to terminate U.S. membership and funding to the UN and its affiliated bodies.
Introducing the bill on February 20, Senator Lee expressed concerns that the UN operates contrary to American interests and sovereignty. Rep. Chip Roy will introduce the bill in the House on Friday. He said that the U.N. and its bodies don’t advance the interests of Americans. Several other Republican lawmakers co-sponsored the legislation.
“The United Nations has devolved into a platform for tyrants and a venue to attack America and her allies. We should stop paying for it. As President Trump revolutionizes our foreign policy by putting America first, we should withdraw from this sham organization and prioritize real alliances that keep our country safe and prosperous,” Lee said in a statement.
“No more blank checks for the United Nations. Americans’ hard-earned dollars have been funnelled into initiatives that fly in the face of our values, enabling tyrants, betraying allies, and spreading bigotry,” Lee added. He further said, “The DEFUND Act would stop all forms of U.S. financial support to the UN and hold this wayward organization accountable for placating Hamas terrorists and the Chinese Communist Party.”
This legislative move reflects a growing sentiment among certain political factions that question the efficacy and alignment of international organizations with U.S. policies. Notably, US is the biggest donor of the UN, which gave over $18 billion in the year 2022. US donation is around one-third of the UN budget.
Chip Roy said, “The United Nations has enjoyed American tax money while often undermining our interests, attacking our allies and bolstering our adversaries.” Calling the UN a corrupt globalist organization, he said that it has failed to prevent wars, genocides, human rights violations and even pandemics for decades.
“No sane country would stand for this,” Roy said in his statement.
This initiative aligns with a series of recent actions by the Trump administration to distance the U.S. from various international agreements and organizations. Notably, on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14162, titled “Putting America First In International Environmental Agreements,” which directed the immediate withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. This marked the second time the U.S. had exited the accord, with the administration citing concerns over economic impacts and perceived unfair burdens on American industries.
The administration also reinstated the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) shortly after the inauguration. The Trump administration’s stance is rooted in criticisms of the WHO’s handling of incidents of health crisis including the pandemic and a desire to prioritize national interests in public health policy.
Additionally, on February 3, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the UN Human Rights Council and halting funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). These actions were justified by allegations of bias against Israel and concerns over the council’s effectiveness in addressing human rights abuses.
Notably, UNRWA has come under fire from even Democrats for being partial to Palestinians in the war. Notably, several UNRWA officials have been found to be involved in terror activities of the Hamas, and several such officials have been killed by Isarel in action.
Ironically, while Republican lawmakers push to sever ties with the UN, the organization’s headquarters remains located in New York City.
Historically, proposals for the U.S. to withdraw from the UN have surfaced periodically. Legislation such as the “American Sovereignty Restoration Act” has been introduced multiple times since 1997, though it has consistently faced minimal support and failed to advance. The current DEFUND Act represents the latest effort in this ongoing debate over the U.S.’s role in international organizations.
