What Americans Really Think About the United Nations - Online Event September 4, 2025 11AM

See also: Current US Public Support for the UN

What Americans Really Think About the United Nations
Thu. September 4th, 202511:00 AM - 12:15 PM (EDT)
Live Online
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President Donald Trump is dramatically reshaping U.S. relations with international institutions. He has withdrawn the United States from WHO, UNESCO, the Human Rights Council, and the Paris Climate Agreement; ordered a review of all international treaties and organizations of which the United States is a member; and proposed slashing U.S. funding for the United Nations by more than eighty percent. However, these “America First” moves appear to be out of step with actual U.S. public attitudes. Indeed, recent polling from the Program for Public Consultation shows strong bipartisan domestic support for sustained multilateral cooperation, UN agencies, and even the International Criminal Court.

As the UN General Assembly prepares to open its 80th session, please join Carnegie’s Stewart Patrick in conversation with Steven Kull, director of the Program for Public Consultation, and Suzanne Nossel, former head of PEN America and a longtime analyst of UN affairs. Our speakers will ask what Americans really think about the UN and unpack the arguments being put forward by the administration. The discussion will explore disconnects between U.S. public attitudes and actual U.S. policies—and assess the implications of these findings for American internationalism.

Bipartisan Majorities Oppose US Disengaging from UN Agencies
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - the University of Maryland

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Summary

A new survey by the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland finds strong bipartisan support for continued U.S. engagement with United Nations agencies, countering recent executive actions by President Trump to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) and sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC). Majorities of both Republicans and Democrats favor U.S. participation in eight key UN agencies, including WHO, the World Food Program, UNICEF, and the Department of Peace Operations. Overall, 84% of respondents said the U.S. should work through the UN as much or more than it currently does.

On the ICC, most respondents opposed sanctioning staff even when the court issued an arrest warrant against Israel’s prime minister, preferring either criticism or no U.S. action. A clear majority (62%) favored the U.S. joining the ICC, with support spanning 57% of Republicans and 72% of Democrats. While Americans expressed concerns about UN bureaucracy and potential conflicts, pro-engagement arguments consistently carried more weight.

Quotes
“An overwhelming majority agrees the UN is a way for the US to share the burden of addressing global problems.” — Steven Kull, Program for Public Consultation