America’s Infuriating and Irreplaceable Role at the U.N.

America’s Infuriating and Irreplaceable Role at the U.N.

Trump (probably) won’t leave the international body—he will just continue to make its life difficult.

Morgan Ortagus, a woman in her 40s wearing an orange suit jacket, raises her right hand while voting. Other officials and aides sit beside her at a long desk. September 19, 2025, 10:29 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Trump’s Second Term

Ongoing reports and analysis

When U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January and began to pull the United States out of United Nations agreements such as the Paris climate pact, some senior U.N. officials predicted that he might quit the U.N. altogether. Eight months later, Trump is set to speak to the General Assembly for the first time since 2020. While it is unlike