When the U.S. withdraws from UNESCO at the end of 2026, it won't be the first time.

Ronald Reagan pulled the country out in 1984, citing mismanagement and "hostility" to the West. It was a bigger blow to the agency's budget at that time — the U.S. reportedly funded a quarter of the organization's budget.

President George W. Bush declared UNESCO "reformed" in 2002 and announced the U.S. would rejoin.

Sixteen years later, during the first Donald Trump presidency, the country again withdrew from UNESCO. It returned in 2023 under the Joe Biden presidency.

In July, the second Trump administration announced another U.S. withdrawal, effective Dec. 31, 2026.

A statement attributed to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the group promoted "divisive social and cultural causes" and wa

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