NEW YORK, July 22. /TASS/. President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO, citing the organization's support for initiatives inconsistent with US interests, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said.

"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," Kelly told the New York Post in a commentary.

She added that the Trump administration has been focused on ensuring that "the country’s membership in all international organizations aligns with our national interests." She further asserted that UNESCO has used its Executive Board to promote "anti-Israel and anti-Jewish actions," including "designating Jewish holy sites as 'Palestinian World Heritage' sites."

She also accused the organization of harboring pro-China views, noting that the deputy director-general of UNESCO, Xing Qu, is a Chinese national. This, she believes, means that "China has leveraged its influence over UNESCO to advance global standards that are favorable to Beijing’s interests."

US-UNESCO: a bumpy relationship

On February 4, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The US leader criticized the UN’s activities, saying that the organization has tremendous potential but has not realized it for a long time. The same order also required a review of cooperation with UNESCO within 90 days, to assess whether the organization "supports United States interests."

This is not the first time the United States has withdrawn from UNESCO. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan’s administration pulled out, citing over-politicization and mismanagement of funds. The US rejoined in 2003. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, the US again withdrew, citing concerns about UNESCO’s growing debt, a need for substantial reforms, and continued anti-Israel bias. The United States rejoined the organization in 2023.