“America First” actually puts America Last….

The Trump administration frames its mass withdrawal from 66 international organizations as “America First.” In reality, it’s a blueprint for American irrelevance. When you retreat from the tables where rules are written, standards are set, and cooperation is forged, you don’t protect American interests—you forfeit them.

The administration’s justification is revealing: these organizations promote “diversity and woke initiatives” that are “contrary to the interests of the United States” . But strip away the culture war rhetoric, and what America is actually abandoning becomes starkly clear.

What We’re Retreating From: A Functional Analysis

Climate Science and Environmental Governance

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) brings together the world’s top scientists to assess climate evidence and provide scientific assessments to inform political leaders . America isn’t withdrawing from “woke ideology”—it’s withdrawing from the scientific consensus that informs $50+ trillion in global infrastructure investment over the next two decades.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), established in 1992 and ratified unanimously by the US Senate, is the underlying treaty for the Paris Agreement . The US is now the first and only nation to ever withdraw from this foundational climate treaty . This doesn’t hurt China or Europe—they’re writing the rules for clean energy markets we’re abandoning.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature provides technical and policy advice on biodiversity. As climate migration, resource scarcity, and ecosystem collapse reshape geopolitics, America is choosing ignorance over influence.

Economic Standard-Setting

The UN Conference on Trade and Development shapes global commerce rules. The International Energy Forum coordinates energy policy among producers and consumers. When America exits these forums, China doesn’t. Europe doesn’t. They simply negotiate standards without American input—standards American companies must still follow to access global markets.

The 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact and International Renewable Energy Agency aren’t “radical climate policies”—they’re the frameworks governing a $1.3 trillion annual market. By withdrawing, America doesn’t stop the transition; it forfeits the ability to shape it in favor of American technology and interests.

Security and Rule of Law

The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law combats transnational organized crime and terrorism. The Global Counterterrorism Forum coordinates intelligence and enforcement. The UN Peacebuilding Commission prevents failed states from becoming terrorist havens.

The UN Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict works to protect at-risk groups from violence during wars . When America withdraws from entities preventing conflict, we don’t reduce our security burden—we increase it, then fund military interventions instead of diplomatic prevention.

Health and Human Development

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) provides sexual and reproductive health worldwide and receives about $261 million annually from the US—18% of WHO funding for work on tuberculosis, pandemics, and global health cooperation . When pandemics emerge, they don’t respect national borders. Defunding global health infrastructure doesn’t protect Americans—it ensures diseases reach us faster and deadlier.

The UN Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment isn’t “woke ideology”—it’s economic development infrastructure. Countries that educate women and include them in economic life see GDP growth averaging 3-4 percentage points higher. When America withdraws from these programs, we’re not defending values; we’re forfeiting influence over which countries become viable trade partners and stable allies.

Democracy and Governance

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance monitors global democratic processes. The UN Democracy Fund supports civil society in emerging democracies. The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe provides constitutional expertise to countries building democratic institutions.

When America exits these forums, we lose the ability to shape democratic norms—the very norms that determine whether countries become reliable partners or adversarial autocracies. China and Russia don’t withdraw from these spaces. They attend and promote their models of authoritarian governance.

The Strategic Reality

“I think what we’re seeing is the crystallization of the U.S. approach to multilateralism, which is ‘my way or the highway,’” said Daniel Forti, head of UN Affairs at the International Crisis Group . But in a multipolar world, that approach doesn’t assert American dominance—it guarantees American isolation.

“Withdrawing from the UNFCCC is a strategic blunder that gives away American advantage for nothing in return,” said David Widawsky, Director of World Resources Institute US . This applies across every withdrawal: America isn’t protecting sovereignty—it’s surrendering influence.

When the person with seizure authority over oil reserves is also the person who profits from them, that’s not governance—it’s looting. When the nation that demands rule-based international order then refuses to participate in the institutions that create those rules, that’s not “America First”—it’s America Alone.

The Verdict

International cooperation didn’t stop because America withdrew. The tables are still set. The negotiations continue. Standards are still being written. The difference is, America isn’t in the room.

We haven’t retreated from organizations. We’ve retreated from relevance. We haven’t abandoned treaties. We’ve abandoned the ability to write them.

And when the next pandemic emerges, the next financial crisis hits, the next climate disaster strikes, the next authoritarian expands—America will discover what every abandoned ally already knows: isolation isn’t strength. It’s surrender in advance.

KJS DC 1.26