US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations.
This, he stated, marks one of the most sweeping rollbacks of US participation in multilateral institutions in modern history, as the administration moves aggressively to realign foreign engagement with what it calls core American interests.
According to a Fact Sheet released by the White House on January 7, 2026, the US president signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the withdrawal from organizations that, in the administration’s words, “no longer serve American interests.”
“Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organizations that no longer serve American interests,” the White House said on its website.
The directive directs all executive departments and agencies to stop supporting and funding 35 non-UN groups and 31 United Nations agencies that the government claims operate “contrary to US national interests, security, economic prosperity, or sovereignty.”
The action follows an exhaustive study launched earlier this year, which examined “all international intergovernmental organizations, conventions, and treaties that the United States is a member of or party to, or that the United States funds or supports.”
The White House stated that the withdrawals are meant to eliminate American public financing for entities that, it claims, prioritize global agendas over US interests.
“These withdrawals will end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over U.S. priorities or that address important issues inefficiently or ineffectively such that U.S. taxpayer dollars are best allocated in other ways,” the statement further read.
The administration framed the move as an issue of national independence, saying Trump is working to “end US participation in international organizations that undermine America’s independence and waste taxpayer dollars on ineffective or hostile agendas.”
The White House accused several of the organizations of supporting policies that contradict American ideals and economic success.
“Many of these bodies promote radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength,” the fact sheet stated.
It added that despite years of US financial support, the returns have been minimal.
“American taxpayers have spent billions on these organizations with little return, while they often criticize US policies, advance agendas contrary to our values, or waste taxpayer dollars by purporting to address important issues but not achieving any real results,” the administration said.
By exiting the organizations, the White House said the president is “saving taxpayer money and refocusing resources on America First priorities.”
The move follows on a succession of high-profile withdrawals since Trump returned to office, strengthening a foreign policy ideology predicated on sovereignty and unilateral decision-making.
“Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump initiated the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement,” the White House noted.
On his first day back in office, the US president also moved against international tax coordination.
“On Day One of his Administration, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum to notify the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that its Global Tax Deal has no force or effect in the United States,” the Fact Sheet said, adding that he ordered an investigation into whether foreign tax rules “disproportionately affect American companies.”
“President Trump signed an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibiting any future funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Near East (UNRWA),” the White House said.
The administration highlighted that the withdrawals are part of a broader reallocation of resources toward domestic needs.
“He has prioritized American interests by redirecting focus and resources toward domestic priorities such as infrastructure, military readiness, and border security, and acting swiftly to protect American companies from foreign interference,” the statement said.
While critics are expected to warn of diminishing US influence abroad, the White House described the move as a rebalancing rather than a retreat.
The message, officials said, is clear: international involvement must prioritize the United States—or not at all.
On X, the White House highlighted that 31 of the 66 international bodies are UN institutions, while 35 are not.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organizations that no longer serve American interests, including 35 non-UN organizations and 31 UN entities,” it concluded.
