Trump withdraws US from 66 international organizations, signaling deeper shift toward isolationism

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from 66 international organizations and agencies, including several key bodies dedicated to fighting climate change.

The move, which follows the administration’s second withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement in early 2025, further cements the Trump administration's second-term stance against globalism.

Among the high-profile targets, the U.S. will exit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The order also pulls the U.S. from organizations focused on trade, conservation, reproductive rights, and immigration, including the International Trade Centre, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

The withdrawal from these United Nations-affiliated organizations means the United States will also terminate its financial contributions to them.

The White House said the targeted organizations "promote extreme climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with American sovereignty and economic strength." While the administration stated the goal is to save taxpayer money, officials did not specify the exact amount of expected savings.

Former Vice President Al Gore criticized the executive order, calling it a move that "undermines decades of diplomacy and sows global mistrust."

However, the practical impact of the order remains to be seen. According to The Washington Post, the U.S. continues to participate in other agencies, such as the International Energy Agency, and may maintain limited involvement in some of the organizations it is officially leaving.

The executive order issued today marks a significant escalation of the "America First" doctrine in Donald Trump’s second term. Far from mere rhetoric, this represents a deliberate dismantling of the global cooperative framework established over decades. By withdrawing from 66 international organizations simultaneously, the administration is signaling a decisive shift from selective multilateralism toward systematic isolationism.

This retreat creates a profound leadership vacuum on the international stage. As the United States voluntarily abdicates its role in setting global standards, the void is poised to be filled by other powers, most notably China. Such a transition threatens to recalibrate international norms in trade, technology, and climate policy to align with Beijing’s strategic interests.

For Vietnam, the implications are both direct and destabilizing. First, regarding climate policy, Vietnam remains one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to environmental shifts. It relies heavily on technology transfers and funding mechanisms coordinated through the UNFCCC. The exit of the U.S.—a primary donor—severely undermines mitigation and adaptation efforts, particularly in the critical Mekong Delta region.

Second, in the realm of trade, the withdrawal from the International Trade Centre underscores a pivot toward transactional bilateralism. For an export-driven economy like Vietnam, this introduces acute uncertainty and increases vulnerability to abrupt policy pivots by a major trading partner. Ultimately, a less engaged United States complicates Vietnam’s delicate balancing act between major powers, leaving Hanoi with diminished leverage as it navigates the deepening friction between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S. withdrawal from the Global Forum on Migration and Development—even as a purely consultative body—serves as a clear signal that federal immigration policy is tightening. For the Vietnamese-American community, this shift could mean more rigorous vetting for visa categories like the F2B or H-1B, potential cuts to family reunification quotas, and increased scrutiny of new arrivals. These changes strike at the heart of our community's growth, from the families awaiting word on their paperwork to the cultural hubs in Little Saigon. Furthermore, for small business owners in the nail salon industry, phở restaurants, or the import-export sector, this pivot toward anti-globalization creates an atmosphere of economic uncertainty that complicates long-term planning and the vital flow of remittances.