Trump’s Attacks on the SDGs
Why ‘America First’ Puts All 17 Global Goals at Risk
With his return to the White House, President Trump has transitioned the United States from being a global leader in international development to an adversary of the Sustainable Development Goals.
From the unilateral dismantling of USAID and withdrawals from numerous international agreements to blatant attacks on compassionate policies, the United States’ recent political shifts have left the aid world reeling.
A survey of the damages shows nearly every facet of the 2030 Agenda has been affected; but rather than be discouraged, we see this as an opportunity to step up our support, our advocacy, and our commitment to ensuring we leave no one behind. After providing an accounting of the negative impacts, we offer five concrete things you can do now to fight back and counteract the loss of global leadership.
In this article we:
Withdrawing Endorsement, Funding and Participation
The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015 as “a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” While participation is voluntary and countries have shown varying levels of dedication, this framework remains one of the few universally agreed-upon commitments.
Rather than ignoring these Global Goals, President Trump chose to outright reject them in recent remarks to the General Assembly:
Put simply, globalist endeavors like Agenda 2030 and the SDGs lost at the ballot box. Therefore, the United States rejects and denounces the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and it will no longer reaffirm them as a matter of course.
In the 10 year history of the SDGs, only a dozen or so countries have withdrawn support of the 2030 Agenda. Trump’s actions puts the US in the company of nations like Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Russia and Syria.
In terms of multilateral agreements and support, given the radical stances we have already seen, it is no surprise the Trump administration no longer supports or endorses:
- The World Health Organization
- The Paris Agreement on Climate Change
- The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Refugees
- The UN Human Rights Council (also withdrew in 2018 before President Biden rejoined in 2021)
- Climate commitments to The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and The International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- UN Loss and Damage Fund for Climate
While these stances send the wrong message to a world experiencing polycrisis, associated funding withdrawals could seriously disrupt progress on the SDGs.
In 2024, the United States led the world in official development assistance, providing $63.3 billion — more than the next two donors combined. By 2026, that total could fall to $20–30 billion, according to some estimates.
For the first time this millennium, the United States is on track to lose its crown as the world’s most generous donor.
Destruction of Data and Data Systems
At SDGCounting, we often report on general SDG developments, but we have always focused on tracking, monitoring, and reporting on the Goals. We highlight how data drives development because, as Peter Drucker is attributed with saying, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” For this reason, attacks on data integrity and availability are particularly disturbing.
Under the Trump administration, the United States is backtracking on these advancements by removing access to public databases, altering definitions of standard economic measures, and defunding agencies responsible for sharing research.
The details of this data-loss are well documented:
Attacking the SDGs
Over the past three months, our team has tracked the chaotic news cycles to see how the Sustainable Development Goals have been impacted by the new administration. Unfortunately, we have found examples across all 17 Goals. This list isn’t exhaustive but offers a quick survey of the challenges the SDGs face.
If this feels overwhelming, feel free to skip ahead to our recommendations for combating these setbacks.
SDG 1 — No Poverty
- Eliminating international poverty reduction programs
- Proposing elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
SDG 2 — Zero Hunger
- Cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Substantially reducing to USDA Food Assistance Programs
- Ending support for emergency international food aid
SDG 3 — Good Health and Well-being
- Withdrawing from the WHO
- Cutting vaccine funding internationally and domestically
- Reducing staff at key health organizations
SDG 4 — Quality Education
SDG 5 — Gender Equality
- Multi-pronged attack on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Reinstating and expanding the Mexico City Policy
SDG 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 7 — Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8 — Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Undermining the National Labor Relations Board and Equal Opportunity Commission
- Tariff policies that have destabilized global economic growth
SDG 9 — Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 10 — Reduced Inequality
SDG 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12 — Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 — Climate Action
SDG 14 — Life Below Water
SDG 15 — Life on Land
- Opening federal lands to resource extraction and development
- Rolling back Endangered Species Act protections
SDG 16 — Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Carrying out mass deportations without due process
- Expanding of executive authority
- Attacking a free press
SDG 17 — Partnerships for the Goals
Five Actions to Counteract the Harm
We admit that it’s a lot to work through. Seeing all the attacks on national and global development in one place is overwhelming. But, we hope that confronting this reality will motivate us to advocate for the world we want to live in.
Finally, here are five actions to help counteract the threats we’ve observed during President Trump’s first 100 days.
1. Donate Strategically
Focus your financial support on organizations with proven impact on the SDGs — tools like Charity Navigator can help you identify highly rated international development NGOs. Prioritize funds for initiatives that address the most urgent needs, such as clean water, maternal health, and renewable energy.
2. Advocate and Raise Awareness
Use your voice on social media, at community events, and within professional networks to spotlight how policy changes are affecting the SDGs; resources like the UN’s SDG Action Campaign offer toolkits for organizing local awareness drives. Share data-driven stories and encourage others to join petitions or letter-writing campaigns targeting key decision-makers.
3. Protect and Preserve Critical Data
Support efforts by organizations such as Data Refuge and the Internet Archive to mirror and maintain public datasets on health, environment, and development. When possible, download and back up open-access government and research databases, and advocate for policies that ensure federal science and statistics remain freely available.
4. Engage Policymakers and Vote with the SDGs in Mind
Research candidates’ positions on international development and SDG-aligned policies before elections — platforms like VoteSmart can guide your choices. Contact your representatives regularly (via calls, emails, or town halls) to express support for restoring and increasing funding for global health, climate action, and education initiatives.
5. Volunteer and Partner with Local and Global NGOs
Offer your skills — whether in data analysis, fundraising, or grassroots organizing — to NGOs working on the ground. Sites like VolunteerMatch can connect you with both local and international opportunities. Building partnerships with community-based organizations amplifies impact and helps sustain progress toward the SDGs even when federal leadership is lacking.
If you are in a position to shape the direction of international philanthropy, we encourage you to act boldly and adopt best practices (even as they are changing to confront the evolving world). We recommend this article from as a great starting place for the discussion:
By combining financial support, advocacy, data preservation, civic engagement, and volunteerism, we can help rebuild and reinforce the global partnerships essential to the 2030 Agenda — no matter what transpires at the highest levels of policy.
As for us, we will continue to do our part to share essential local and international perspectives while advocating for unifying principles that ensure we leave no one behind regardless of governmental (lack) of leadership.
SDGCounting is a program of StartingUpGood and tracks the progress of counting and measuring the success of the SDGs. Follow us on social media:
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