Victor Davis Hanson: ‘Trump Should Have A Serious Conversation’ About UN’s Place In US

Conservative News DailyOctober 11, 2025

Victor Davis Hanson, a Hoover Institution Senior Fellow, urged president Donald Trump to reconsider teh United Nations’ role and presence in the United States, calling it ineffective and compromised, similar to the defunct League of Nations. Hanson suggested that the U.N. headquarters, currently in New York, could be relocated to countries like Ghana or Peru, noting that many member states only vote democratically while in New York but otherwise return to autocratic regimes. He also recommended cutting U.S. funding to various UN-related bodies and refugee relief funds.

Recently, the U.N. announced plans to reduce its global peacekeeping forces by 25%, largely due to funding cuts tied to Trump’s “America First” policy. A Gallup poll indicated that 63% of U.S. adults view the U.N. as performing poorly, although many still consider it necessary. Trump previously withdrew the U.S. from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, citing concerns over its ideological bias. Hanson and current U.S. policy highlight growing skepticism about the U.N.’s effectiveness and America’s financial support for it.

On Fox Business Friday, Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson called on President Donald Trump to reassess the United Nations’ (U.N.’s) role and presence in the United States.

In an op-ed, Hanson said that the United Nations has become as ineffective and compromised as the defunct League of Nations, with only Trump willing to confront global crises head-on.

Speaking on “The Bottom Line,” Hanson said it may be time to relocate the institution and reexamine America’s financial commitment to global bureaucracies.

“I think we’ve got to cut back on all of the so-called refugee relief funds. And we’ve got out of most of them. And we’ve got out a lot of the spinoffs, like the WHO and other criminal courts,” Hanson said.

“But I think Trump should have a serious conversation whether you even want the U.N. headquarters in New York. Because for half the membership, that’s the only time they ever vote in a democratic fashion.”

Hanson discussed the symbolic and strategic implications of hosting the U.N. in New York, warning that the gesture has outlived its value.

Instead, he floated the idea of relocating the body to countries like Ghana or Peru.

“They go home to these autocratic societies. They like to live it up in the United States and then live it up in Manhattan. So I think he should say, ‘You know what. Put it in Ghana or maybe, I don’t know, Peru or somewhere.’ And it’s pretty irrelevant. I can’t think of one thing it’s done in the last 30, 40, 50 years to further peace,” Hanson added.

The U.N. announced it will cut 25% of its global peacekeeping force in the coming months, pulling up to 14,000 troops from missions worldwide due to U.S. funding cuts tied to Trump’s “America First” policy.

A senior U.N. official said the budget for peacekeeping operations will shrink by 15%, with support offices like the one in Somalia also facing reductions.

A Gallup poll in September shows 63% of U.S. adults believe the U.N. is doing a poor job, just days before its general debate opens.

While most respondents still see the U.N. as necessary, support has declined compared to past years.

In July, Trump said he would once again withdraw the U.S. from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, citing concerns over its left-leaning bias.

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