President Trump on Wednesday signed a presidential memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, marking a significant shift in American foreign policy. The administration characterized these organizations as no longer serving U.S. interests and ordered all executive departments and agencies to cease participation and funding.

The sweeping directive follows a comprehensive State Department review ordered earlier this year under Executive Order 14199. According to the White House, the withdrawals apply to 35 non-United Nations organizations and 31 United Nations entities.

In the memorandum, Trump stated that after reviewing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s findings, he determined it would be “contrary to the interests of the U.S. to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support” to the listed organizations. The order calls for immediate steps to implement the withdrawals as soon as possible.

For United Nations entities specifically, the directive means ceasing participation and funding to the extent permitted by law. The affected organizations span various sectors including climate, energy, development, governance, migration, and gender policy.

Secretary Rubio, a key architect of this policy shift, defended the withdrawals as fulfilling a central commitment of Trump’s presidency. “Today, President Trump announced the U.S. is leaving 66 anti-American, useless, or wasteful international organizations,” Rubio wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The State Department’s assessment concluded these institutions were “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity,” according to Rubio.

The Trump administration framed the move as part of its broader “America First” agenda, aimed at reasserting American sovereignty and redirecting taxpayer money away from what it views as ineffective international bodies. The White House indicated that review of additional international organizations remains ongoing, suggesting more withdrawals could follow.

“It is no longer acceptable to be sending these institutions the blood, sweat, and treasure of the American people, with little to nothing to show for it,” Rubio stated. “The days of billions of dollars in taxpayer money flowing to foreign interests at the expense of our people are over.”

This decision represents a fundamental reorientation of how the administration approaches global engagement. Rubio articulated this new vision clearly: “We will not continue expending resources, diplomatic capital, and the legitimizing weight of our participation in institutions that are irrelevant to or in conflict with our interests. We seek cooperation where it serves our people and will stand firm where it does not.”

The extensive withdrawal has significant implications for American diplomacy and international relations. Critics worry that stepping back from these organizations could diminish U.S. global influence and leadership, while supporters argue it allows the country to focus resources on priorities that directly benefit Americans.

The timing of this announcement comes as the Trump administration has been implementing numerous policy changes across various departments, reflecting the president’s campaign promises to restructure America’s relationship with global institutions.

For many international policy experts, this move represents one of the most comprehensive retreats from multilateral engagement in recent American history, though its long-term impact on U.S. foreign policy objectives remains to be seen. The full list of affected organizations was published alongside the presidential memorandum.

Neither the White House nor the State Department provided additional comments when contacted about the specifics of the implementation timeline or potential diplomatic consequences of these withdrawals.