What Americans Really Think About the United Nations

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 He has withdrawn the United States from WHO, UNESCO, the Human Rights Council, and the Paris Climate Agreement; ordered a review of all international treaties and organizations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 80^th 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.