The curtain has fallen on traditional multilateralism, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Speaking out amid the Trump administration’s dramatic exit from 66 international bodies, Rubio slammed them as bloated relics squandering American dollars on inefficiency and anti-U.S. agendas.
Just days after President Trump’s memorandum sealed the deal, Rubio took to Substack to eviscerate the ‘international system.’ It’s a mess of shadowy organizations with clashing duties, redundant work, dismal results, and corrupt stewardship, he wrote. No more unconditional funding for global bureaucrats—that era is done.
The withdrawals stem from an exhaustive audit weighing each group’s purpose, performance, and value to America. Labeled unnecessary, poorly run, extravagant, or sovereignty-eroding, these outfits no longer merit U.S. support. Rubio emphasized that taxpayer money belongs in ventures yielding real accountability and national benefits.
U.S. participation has propped up these flops, particularly on critical fronts like energy access, prosperity, and self-determination. Rubio zeroed in on UN affiliates: the Population Fund’s alleged promotion of coerced abortions violates core morals. UN Women can’t define womanhood amid its empowerment rhetoric.
Climate efforts under the UN Framework Convention wasted funds on dubious projects in volatile regions like Gaza and the West Bank, prioritizing alarmism over practical energy. The Forum on African Descent? Rubio called its reparations push racist.
‘Failure after failure defines them, or worse, bad intent,’ Rubio charged. Americans and the world merit superior options from U.S. leadership. This strategic retreat promises sharper focus on bilateral ties and high-impact initiatives, reshaping how Washington engages the globe.