U.S. lawmakers push to sever ties with the "platform for tyrants"
"The United Nations has devolved into a platform for tyrants," stated Senator Mike Lee from Utah. Republican politicians have begun efforts to withdraw the United States from the UN.
Republican politicians are concerned that the United Nations does not support U.S. interests and is not aligned with President Donald Trump's "America First" policy, as reported by Fox News.
The end of the U.S. in the UN? "A platform for tyrants"
Senator Mike Lee from Utah introduced a bill on Thursday, the "Disengaging Entirely From the United Nations Debacle Act of 2025." This bill aims to end U.S. membership in the UN and its affiliated organizations and stop funding these groups. Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee is the bill's coauthor.
In the House of Representatives, the bill will be introduced by Chip Roy from Texas, who argues that the UN and its agencies do not support American interests.
In his statement to Fox News, Senator Lee said, "The United Nations has devolved into a platform for tyrants and a venue to attack America and her allies." "We should stop paying for it. As President Trump revolutionizes our foreign policy by putting America first, we should withdraw from this sham organization and prioritize real alliances that keep our country safe and prosperous," wrote the Republican politician.
The United States is the largest donor to the UN. In 2022, it contributed over 18 billion dollars to the organization, accounting for about one-third of its total budget.
Roy highlighted the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The organization came under scrutiny after a UN investigation revealed that UNRWA employees might have been involved in an attack by the Palestinian Hamas group on Israel in October 2023. In response, the USA temporarily suspended funding for UNRWA in January 2024.
"No sane country would stand for this," said Roy.
Republican representatives, such as Mike Rogers from Alabama, Eli Crane from Arizona, Diana Harshbarger from Tennessee, Anna Paulina Luna from Florida, Harriet Hageman from Wyoming, Josh Brecheen from Oklahoma, Thomas Massie from Kentucky, and Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, also support the bill.
The bill also mandates that the United States will not participate in peace negotiations with the UN. It prohibits the executive branch from making membership agreements with the UN or its entities without Senate consent.
Divisions in American society regarding the UN
American society is divided over the issue of the UN. According to a Pew Research Center survey from April 2024, over 70 percent of Democrats and independents with liberal views have a favourable opinion of the UN, compared to 34 percent of Republicans and independents with Republican views.
President Trump attempted to reduce UN funding during his first term and again in his second, signing an executive order in February to withdraw the USA from the UN Human Rights Council and cut funds for UNRWA.
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