By Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com, news-photos-features.com

On January 7, trump, itching to be a war president who can declare Martial Law and abuse the Insurrection Act, issued an Executive Order “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting,” declaring, “As Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, I am committed to ensuring that the United States military possesses the most lethal warfighting capabilities in the world.”

On the same day, almost simultaneously, he issued another Executive Order, pulling the United States out of these International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties:

Non-United Nations Organizations:

1.       24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact;
2.      Colombo Plan Council;
3.     Commission for Environmental Cooperation;
4.      Education Cannot Wait;
5.       European Centre of Excellence for Countering

Hybrid Threats;

1.      Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories;
2.     Freedom Online Coalition;
3.    Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund;
4.      Global Counterterrorism Forum;
5.       Global Forum on Cyber Expertise;
6.      Global Forum on Migration and Development;
7.     Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research;
8.    Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development;
9.     Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;
10.      Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services;
11.     International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property;
12.    International Cotton Advisory Committee;
13.   International Development Law Organization;
14.     International Energy Forum;
15.      International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies;
16.     International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance;
17.    International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law;
18.   International Lead and Zinc Study Group;
19.    International Renewable Energy Agency;
20.     International Solar Alliance;
21.    International Tropical Timber Organization;
22.   International Union for Conservation of Nature;

(xxviii)  Pan American Institute of Geography and History;

1.    Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation;
2.     Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia;
3.    Regional Cooperation Council;
4.   Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century;

(xxxiii)  Science and Technology Center in Ukraine;

1.   Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme; and
2.    Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.

(b)  United Nations (UN) Organizations:

1.       Department of Economic and Social Affairs;
2.      UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa;
3.     ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean;
4.      ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific;
5.       ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia;
6.      International Law Commission;
7.     International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals;
8.    International Trade Centre;
9.      Office of the Special Adviser on Africa;
10.       Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict;
11.      Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict;
12.     Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children;
13.    Peacebuilding Commission;
14.     Peacebuilding Fund;
15.      Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;
16.     UN Alliance of Civilizations;
17.    UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries;
18.   UN Conference on Trade and Development;
19.     UN Democracy Fund;
20.      UN Energy;
21.     UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women;
22.    UN Framework Convention on Climate Change;
23.   UN Human Settlements Programme;
24.    UN Institute for Training and Research;
25.     UN Oceans;
26.    UN Population Fund;
27.   UN Register of Conventional Arms;

(xxviii)  UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination;

1.    UN System Staff College;
2.     UN Water; and
3.    UN University.

This is only the latest round — organizations and entities included in the 2026 withdrawals or earlier actions include:

• World Health Organization (WHO): Withdrawal initiated in 2025/2026.
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):  the structure behind global climate efforts.
• UNESCO:  the UN’s science and cultural agency.
• UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
• UN Women
• UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
• International Trade Centre (ITC)

In the meantime, he has all but pulled support for NATO, broken trade treaties he negotiated with Canada and Mexico, threatened a bridge paid for by Canada and owned jointly by Canada and Michigan (because it competes with his donor’s bridge), broken deals with the United Kingdom and European Union, broken the US obligation to protect Ukraine (in exchange for Ukraine giving up its loose nukes) and basically handed Ukraine over to Putin while giving Xi a nod to go right ahead and take Taiwan, committed piracy against Venezuela (stashing $500 million in offshore accounts in Qatar which he controls), attacking Colombia, threatening Iran, ended the last remaining nuclear arms treaty with Russia, while announcing the maniac would resume underground testing of nuclear weapons, and he gets ready to bomb Iran yet again (apparently, the first time didn’t obliterate Iran’s nuclear capacity as he claimed).

And by the way, none of this is constitutional. He doesn’t get to pirate oil, pocketing the revenue, and bomb willy nilly. You would think that treaties that have been agreed by Congress are binding as law. He doesn’t get to raise tariffs to astronomical levels on a whim or if tribute ($$) is paid.

And while he inflames the world, he is turning our streets into a war zone, too, with equal disregard, disdain for the rule of law, due process, human rights or civil rights.

In essence, he is making the United States a pariah, while returning the world to a Dark Ages of “might makes right.” 

The irony is he is doing all of this with the US Treasury that others built up and he is bankrupting, and a military that others built up and he is depleting — so at some point, the USA will not be the most powerful, wealthiest nation on the planet, but will be ripe for subjugation.