Trump pulls U.S. out of 'woke' UN cultural agency AGAIN after raging against it for years
In a statement to the Daily Mail, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said UNESCO 'supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November.'
The State Department formally announced the decision on Tuesday. It will take effect December 31, 2026.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce added that the agency's 'decision to admit the 'state of Palestine' as a member State is highly problematic and contrary to U.S. policy.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said he deeply regretted Trump's decision but had anticipated it and adjusted its budget accordingly.
'Thanks to the efforts made by the organization since 2018, the decreasing trend in the financial contribution of the U.S. has been offset, so that it now represents 8% of the organization's total budget compared to 40% for some United Nations entities,' Azoulay said in a statement.
UNESCO first admitted Palestine as a full member in 2011, in a bow to Palestine's strategy to seek international recognition through UN agencies.
This is the third time the U.S. has left UNESCO, with the first withdrawal occurring in 1984 under President Reagan.
The U.N. agency, which is based in Paris, promotes international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication.
But some of its decisions, particularly around the naming of world heritage sites, have been controversial.
The Trump administration ordered a review of the United States' membership in the organization earlier this year.
Israel has also left the agency.
UNESCO is best known for designating World Heritage Sites, including the Grand Canyon in the United States and the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria.
But the organization has been criticized for supporting the eviction and abuse of Indigenous peoples in some World Heritage sites.
And it faces complaints about its overly-bureaucratic structure.
Trump removed the U.S. from UNESCO during his first term - citing anti-Israel bias - but President Joe Biden readmitted the country to the organization.
After withdrawing from the agency during the Reagan administration after claims it advanced the interests of the Soviet Union, President George W. Bush rejoined UNESCO in 2003.
Trump, in a push for isolationism, has removed the U.S. from other global bodies.
He's already decided to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization and halt funding to the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA as part of a review of the U.S.' participation in UN agencies, due to be concluded in August.
In his first administration, Trump removed the U.S. from the WHO, the U.N. Human Rights Council, a global climate change accord and the Iran nuclear deal.
Biden returned the country to those bodies.
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Scottish Sun
17 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Donald Trump launches scathing rant about windmills during EU trade talks
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DONALD Trump launched a scathing rant about windmills before announcing a trade deal with the European Union this evening. The US President, 79, struck the 'biggest of all deals' following meetings with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at Turnberry, in Ayrshire. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 President Donald Trump called wind energy a 'con job' Credit: AP 3 He went on a scathing rant about windmills and said they were 'no good' Credit: Alamy 3 It came before he announced a trade deal with the EU Credit: Getty Ms von der Leyen confirmed there would be US tariffs on goods from Europe of 15 per cent across the board. Speaking to reporters at his luxury golf resort, Mr Trump said: "We have reached a deal. It's a good deal for everybody. "It's going to bring us closer together... It's a partnership in a sense." He added: "It's great that we made a deal instead of playing games". EU chief Ursula von der Leyen also hailed it as a "huge deal", which came after "tough negotiations". However, ahead of the trade talks, the Republican chief went on a scathing rant about windmills and vowed not to let another one be built in the US. We will not allow a windmill to be built in the US. They're killing us. They're killing the beauty of our scenery, our valleys, our beautiful planes President Donald Trump At a press conference with Ms von der Leyen, he called them a "con job" and said "wind doesn't work". The American leader said: "We will not allow a windmill to be built in the US. They're killing us. "They're killing the beauty of our scenery, our valleys, our beautiful planes - and I'm not talking about aeroplanes, I'm talking about beautiful planes, beautiful areas in the US - and you look up and you see windmills all over the place. "It's a horrible thing, it's the most expensive form of energy. It's no good. Trump and EU chief von der Leyen discuss trade talks ahead of breakthrough deal "They're made in China, almost all of them, and when they start to rust and rot in eight years, you can't really turn them off, you can't bury them. "They won't let you bury the propellers, the props, because they are a certain type of fibre that doesn't go well with the land, that's what they say. "The environmentalists say you can't bury them because the fibre doesn't go well with the land. In other words, if you bury it, it will harm our soil. "The whole thing is a con job - it's very expensive, and in all fairness, Germany tried it, and wind doesn't work. "You need subsidy for wind, and energy should not need subsidy. With energy, you make money; you don't lose money." Mr Trump also claimed that windmills harm animals and said they were "very expensive". It's a horrible thing, it's the most expensive form of energy. It's no good... The whole thing is a con job... wind doesn't work President Donald Trump The US has around 1,500 wind power projects with over 70,800 wind turbines, spread across a total of 44 states, according to Inspire Clean Energy. But Mr Trump slammed them for ruining the landscape and claimed that several projects in Massachusetts are causing the death of whales in the surrounding area by "driving them loco". He added: "More importantly than that is it ruins the landscape, it kills the birds, they're noisy. "You know, you have a certain place in the Massachusetts area that over the last 20 years had one or two whales wash ashore. "And over the last short period of time, they had 18, ok, cause it's driving them loco. It's driving them crazy. "Now windmills will not come, it's not going to happen in the US. It's very expensive." 'Festival of resistance' A "FESTIVAL of resistance The protest at The White Horse Inn, Balmedie, Aberdeen, is close to the Trump International Scotland golf resort. And organisers said they object to it receiving £180,000 of public funding for the Nexo Championship next month. Organiser of Stop Trump Scotland, Alena Ivanova, said: "As Donald Trump is expected to arrive at his Aberdeenshire golf course, residents and protesters are gathering in Balmedie from 3pm to continue the festival of resistance. "This message is to Donald Trump but also our elected leaders preparing to meet him: there is no place for Trumpism in Scotland." Mr Trump went on to say that they are ruining the views at his luxury Turnberry course, which he called "the best course in the world". The US President said: "I mean, today, I'm playing the best course I think in the world, Turnberry - even though I own it, it's probably the best course in the world, right - and I look over the horizon and I see nine windmills right at the end of the 18th hole. "And I said, 'Isn't that a shame? What a shame.' "You have the same thing all over, all over Europe in particular. You have windmills all over the place. "Some of the countries prohibit it, but... people ought to know, these windmills are very destructive. "They're environmentally- just the exact opposite, because the environmentalists, they're not really environmentalists, they're political hacks. "These are people that... they almost want to harm the country. I'm playing the best course I think in the world, Turnberry... and I look over the horizon and I see nine windmills. And I said, 'Isn't that a shame?' President Donald Trump "But you look at these beautiful landscapes all over the world... many countries have gotten smart and they will not allow it. They will not. "It is the worst form of energy, the most expensive form of energy, but windmills should not be allowed." It comes before the American leader is set to be pushed by Sir Keir Starmer on how to end the starvation of kids in Gaza. Earlier today, Mr Trump teed off on his second round in Turnberry after landing on Friday night, accompanied by a massive security team. Meanwhile, anti-Trump rallies across Scotland were mounted in Aberdeen and Edinburgh on Saturday as the American leader enjoyed a round of golf at his luxury Ayrshire resort. The US President landed in Scotland in a party mood after revealing his plans for a trade deal celebration with the Prime Minister and First Minister John Swinney. Mr Trump said: "We're going to do a little celebrating because we get along very well." He was welcomed by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray before being whisked to his luxury Turnberry resort 20 miles down the Ayrshire coast.
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump announces 'very powerful deal' with the EU
Published: Updated: President Donald Trump announced he had reached a 'very powerful' trade deal with the European Union that would lower barriers to U.S. exports and bring new European investments into the U.S. Trump called it 'a very powerful deal' as well as 'a very big deal. It's the biggest of all the deals.' He also called it 'the biggest deal ever made.' Speaking from his Turnberry golf course, Trump said European Union countries would purchase $750 billion of energy from the U.S. and provide an additional $600 billion in U.S. investments. 'All of the countries will be opened up to trade with the United States at zero tariff, and they're agreeing to purchase a vast amount of military equipment,' Trump added. 'We don't know what that number is.' It came after Trump inveighed against 'one-sided' trade with Europe as he sat down at his Turnberry golf course with the EU Commission president, while raging against windmills and saying there were prospects for reaching a deal imminently. 'We wanted to rebalance the trade relations,' said EU Commission Chair Ursula von der Leyen, confirming the agreement while sitting alongside Trump. Trump flashed his anger when a reporter asked if turmoil over the Jeffrey Epstein story had contributed to the rush to get the deal done. 'Oh, you've got to be kidding. No – had nothing to do with it. Only you would make that. That had nothing to do with it,' Trump responded. Both leaders made nice – after the 'Liberation Day' tariffs Trump rolled out in April threatened to cleave the powerful allies. Trump had more recently threatened a 30 percent tariff on the EU – providing an incentive to negotiate it down. Trump, upon arriving here in Scotland, said the powerful trade bloc must 'buy down' the number. 'Basically the European market is open,' said von der Leyen. 'It's 450 million people, so it's a good deal. It's a huge deal. Was tough negotiations. I knew it at the beginning, and it was indeed very tough, but we came to a good conclusion from both sides,' she said. The number comports with what had already been floated. 'We are agreeing that the tariff straight across for automobiles and everything else' would be 15 percent, said Trump. The agreement – with details still to be revealed – comes after Trump announced other agreements with Japan and other nations, while firing off a series of trade 'letters' announcing new tariffs he is imposing on other nations. Japan, too, would face a 15 percent rate on its auto exports to the U.S. After many economists warned that Trump's tariffs could break the alliance, the two leaders proclaimed new cooperation after they had agreed to broad terms. 'This deal will bring us very close together actually. It's a partnership in a sense,' Trump said. The progress came about an hour after Trump complained about the trade relationship. 'It's been a very one-sided transaction – very unfair to the United States,' he complained alongside von der Leyen, keeping her hands in her lap and her expressions muted. 'It's been a very, very one-sided deal, and it shouldn't be,' Trump fumed. He said a deal, if it can be reached, would be the biggest deal 'ever struck by anybody.' 'This is the biggest deal. People don't realize – this is bigger than any other deal. And it could happen – should happen,' he said. Fielding questions at a press event that put the 'working' in what his team calls a 'working visit,' Trump went off on a number of topics. His attacks quickly changed to wind turbines he said obstruct the view from his Scottish golf course. 'It ruins the landscape. It kills the birds. They're noisy,' Trump complained. He said what he terms windmills in Massachusetts were 'driving them loco – driving them crazy.' 'Today I'm playing the best course, I think, in the world: Turnberry ... And I look over the horizon and I see nine windmills. I say isn't that a shame,' he said. On immigration, another tension point, Trump said: 'We've sealed our borders. We have nobody coming in ... I think they're going to end up in the same place. You might as well go there quicker.' Von der Leyen shared his assessment on the chance of reaching an agreement, putting it at 50 percent. Trump got asked at one point if he could do better than 15 percent – the amount of a tariff on European imports that has been floated as a potential final number in an agreement. 'Better meaning lower? No,' Trump said flatly. But the former German politician showed some give in her own remarks and kept her composure even as Trump tore into European policies on trade, energy, and immigration.
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
US and EU clinch deal with broad 15% tariffs on EU goods to avert trade war
TURNBERRY, Scotland, July 27 (Reuters) - The United States struck a framework trade deal with the European Union on Sunday, imposing a 15% U.S. import tariff on most EU goods, but averting a spiralling battle between two allies which account for almost a third of global trade. The announcement came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at his golf course in western Scotland to push a hard-fought deal over the line. "I think this is the biggest deal ever made," Trump told reporters after an hour-long meeting with von der Leyen, who said the 15% tariff applied "across the board". "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability," she said. The deal, that also includes $600 billion of EU investments in the United States and significant EU purchases of U.S. energy and military equipment, will indeed bring clarity for EU companies. However, the baseline tariff of 15% will be seen by many in Europe as a poor outcome compared to the initial European ambition of a zero-for-zero tariff deal, although it is better than the threatened 30% rate. The deal mirrors parts of the framework agreement the United States clinched with Japan last week. "We are agreeing that the tariff... for automobiles and everything else will be a straight across tariff of 15%," Trump said. However, the 15% baseline rate would not apply to steel and aluminium, for which a 50% tariff would remain in place. Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old U.S. trade deficits, has so far reeled in agreements with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has failed to deliver on a promise of "90 deals in 90 days." He has periodically railed against the European Union saying it was "formed to screw the United States" on trade. Arriving in Scotland, Trump said that the EU wanted "to make a deal very badly" and said, as he met von der Leyen, that Europe had been "very unfair to the United States". His main bugbear is the U.S. merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which in 2024 reached $235 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The EU points to the U.S. surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Trump also talked on Sunday about the "hundreds of billions of dollars" that tariffs were bringing in. On July 12, Trump threatened to apply a 30% tariff on imports from the EU starting on August 1, after weeks of negotiations with the major U.S. trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal. The EU had prepared countertariffs on 93 billion euros ($109 billion) of U.S. goods in the event there was no deal and Trump had pressed ahead with 30% tariffs. Some member states had also pushed for the bloc to use its most powerful trade weapon, the anti-coercion instrument, to target U.S. services in the event of a no-deal.
