The United States bank rolls the international community. That isn’t going to continue.
And now the UN is shutting down after Trump leveled a stunning threat against them.
The United Nations is scrambling to prepare for potential U.S. funding cuts as President Trump’s administration sharpens its focus on eliminating government waste. An internal U.N. memo obtained by Fox News Digital reveals growing concern within the organization as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) intensifies its efforts to rein in reckless spending.
The memo, titled “Managing the 2025 regular budget liquidity crisis,” was sent to heads of various U.N. departments and offices. It outlines a directive from Secretary-General António Guterres to tighten the organization’s cash flow, freeze hiring, and operate with only 80% of their allocated budgets.
“We are aware that the 80% ceiling could pose significant challenges for many entities to meet some of their non-discretionary spending for non-post costs. However, we are constrained by the lack of overall liquidity,” the memo states.
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the memo’s authenticity but downplayed its significance, insisting to Fox News Digital that such measures were “not unusual.”
Despite the memo’s warning of potential financial strain, insiders speaking to former Principal Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Hugh Dugan are skeptical.
According to Dugan, those within the U.N. are not taking the memo seriously and do not believe it reflects “real cuts.”
Even the supposed hiring freeze is viewed with suspicion, as insiders doubt it will result in any genuine slowdown in recruitment.
Adding to the internal unease, Secretary-General Guterres also invited all U.N. personnel to a virtual town hall later this month. While the invitation did not specify a topic, Dujarric admitted the secretary-general will address the organization’s growing financial troubles.
Dugan wasn’t impressed by the vague invitation or the delayed timing of the town hall. “The urgency is not present enough at all,” he told Fox News Digital, suggesting the U.N. is still clinging to the false hope that it can escape meaningful budgetary discipline.
For years, the U.N. has relied on the assumption that it can strong-arm the United States and other major contributors into maintaining its lavish funding. But Dugan argued those days are over, calling the organization’s belief that it can leverage its international influence “preposterous.”
And there’s good reason for the U.N. to worry. President Trump has made no secret of his disdain for the waste and inefficiency plaguing international bureaucracies.
In a recent address to Congress, Trump listed multiple examples of “appalling waste” uncovered by DOGE and signaled his administration’s determination to cut off funding to organizations that refuse to clean up their act.
The U.N.’s concerns may extend beyond the United States. If other major donor countries begin to follow Trump’s lead and reassess their contributions, the organization’s financial woes could deepen considerably.
Still, Dujarric insists the memo is not a “direct result of the political situation in the U.S.,” claiming the U.N. has faced “a liquidity crisis” for decades due to some member states failing to pay their dues on time—or at all.
The memo comes just weeks after Secretary-General Guterres sent a letter to staff attempting to downplay the seriousness of the situation while offering empty platitudes about the organization’s global mission.
“Now, more than ever, the work of the United Nations is crucial. As we face this difficult challenge, your dedication and support will help us to overcome and move forward,” Guterres wrote in his February letter—a message that rings increasingly hollow as the reality of Trump’s America First agenda begins to bite.
With President Trump’s administration cracking down on wasteful spending and the U.N. no longer able to rely on business as usual, the days of unchecked budgets and bloated bureaucracy may finally be coming to an end.
