In a recent development, a prominent contender for the United Nations’ top position had to address concerns about his gender identity amid fears that Donald Trump may insist on a male successor. This comes in the wake of the Trump administration slashing its financial commitment to the UN by $2 billion, accompanied by a stark ultimatum: “adapt, shrink, or die.”

As António Guterres prepares to step down as UN Secretary-General in 2026, the race to fill his shoes is heating up. The next leader will be chosen by the Security Council’s five permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.

The UN has signaled a strong preference for appointing a woman to the role for the first time, expressing their “regret that no woman has ever held the position of secretary-general” when the selection process began.

In a clear push for gender diversity, the organization urged member states to “strongly consider nominating women as candidates.”

Richard Gowan, a UN expert, shared with The Times that while many diplomats at the UN are keen on having a female leader, there is apprehension that the US might insist on a male candidate due to its challenging stance on UN matters.

‘A lot of UN diplomats would still really like to see a woman. [But] there is a sort of feeling that just because the US is being so difficult about everything around the UN, it will insist on picking a man,’ UN expert Richard Gowan told The Times. 

Trump’s return to office has also nixed candidates who wanted to focus on climate change, which the president has long called a hoax. 

The US State Department demanded that the UN change its ways when they announced their funding on Monday.  

A leading candidate for head of the United Nations had to clarify that he doesn’t perceive’ himself as a woman as the organization fears Donald Trump (pictured) will demand the new leader be a man

The Trump administration announced a drastically reduced $2billion pledge to the UN earlier this week, with a warning that they must ‘adapt, shrink or die’

‘The piggy bank is not open to organizations that just want to return to the old system,’ Jeremy Lewin, the State Department official in charge of foreign assistance, said at a press conference in Geneva. 

‘President Trump has made clear that the system is dead.’ 

The three frontrunners – all from Latin America, as the position rotates regions every ten years – will instead focus on peacemaking. 

The lone male candidate, Argentinian diplomat Rafael Grossi, clarified that he was not a woman and believes that the best person for the job should get it.

‘I do not perceive myself as one and I’m not changing. My personal take on this is that we are electing the best person to be secretary-general, a man or a woman.’ 

Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan and ex-Chile President Michelle Bachelet are also considered contenders. 

Gowan doesn’t rule out Trump championing a woman that matches his politics to potentially get his way with the woke United Nations.  

‘If you can find a woman candidate who sort of has the right political profile, speaks the right language to win over Trump, then I easily imagine him turning on a dime. And in a sense, the best way to own the libs of the UN would be to appoint a conservative female secretary general.’ 

The lone male candidate, Argentinian diplomat Rafael Grossi, clarified that he was not a woman and believes that the best person for the job should get it

Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan (pictured left) and ex-Chile President Michelle Bachelet (pictured right) are also considered contenders

UN Secretary General António Guterres will vacate the position at the end of 2026, with several candidates set to lobby to take the job, which will be decided by the five permanent members of the security council: the US, UK, France, Russia and China

The State Department said Monday that ‘individual UN agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.’ 

Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions toward hunger, displacement or disease, and harmed US soft power around the world. 

‘This new model will better share the burden of UN humanitarian work with other developed countries and will require the UN to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability and oversight mechanisms,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media. 

US officials say the $2billion is just a first outlay to help fund OCHA’s annual appeal for money.

Other traditional UN donors like Britain, France, Germany and Japan have reduced aid allocations and sought reforms this year.

‘This humanitarian reset at the United Nations should deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars — providing more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with U.S foreign policy,’ U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said.

The UN project, months in the making, stems from Trump’s longtime view that the world body has great promise but has failed to live up to it and has — in his eyes — drifted too far from its original mandate to save lives while undermining American interests, promoting radical ideologies and encouraging wasteful, unaccountable spending.

‘No one wants to be an aid recipient. No one wants to be living in a UNHCR camp because they’ve been displaced by conflict,’ Lewin said. 

‘So the best thing that we can do to decrease costs, and President Trump recognizes this and that’s why he’s the president of peace, is by ending armed conflict and allowing communities to get back to peace and prosperity.’