A Trump taunt at the U.N.

Build a golf course and you get to decide where the fairways run, what fees to charge and who gets to tee off. President Trump, spending his time on the links of his Florida country club, thinks it’s the same way with the United Nations.

Via U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, he’s communicating a threat: If the world body doesn’t hew closer to White House aims, it can expect financial cuts from its prime contributor. It’s a message that further isolates a strident and reckless president on the global stage and could cripple the United Nations’ work, ranging from disease prevention to human rights oversight.

Starting with his campaign for the White House, Trump has simmered over international agreements, including the NATO military alliance, the NAFTA trade pact and the Paris climate change accord, which he has since exited. The benefits of international deals are ignored in the name of blind worries about losing the dominating advantage this country wields.

The U.N. is now taking its lumps in the wake of an overwhelming vote decrying Trump’s intention to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a plan that’s inflamed Palestinian feelings.

The 128-to-9 vote against the U.S. move is hardly a surprise given past tests of the organization’s Mideast outlook. But what’s happening next goes far beyond the long-running dispute over Israel’s links with its neighbors.

Within days of the Jerusalem vote, the United Nations took up another topic: agreement on a two-year budget of $5.4 billion that included a savings of $285 million in staffing, leasing and expense account tallying. It’s in line with past pledges to rein in costs and was reached by a group of nations bent on saving money in a sprawling institution.

But Haley pounced on the cuts, saying the trims were the result of American pressure and indicating there will be calls for more if the assembled countries don’t heed U.S. wishes.

“You can be sure we’ll continue to look at ways to increase the U.N.’s efficiency while protecting our interests,” Haley said.

In the middle of the debate over Jerusalem’s status, Trump put it more bluntly.

“Let them vote against us,” he said. “We will save a lot.”

Pulling the financial plug is a long-held dream for some conservatives. The notion of American initiative hobbled by a global entity is an abiding — and ridiculous — theme for these go-it-alone critics. The president is channeling these views by suggesting he’ll cut Washington’s contribution, which is the largest among U.N. members, if it doesn’t follow his lead.

Trump may be throwing out an idle threat. But the posturing sends a troubling message that he doesn’t accept the U.N.’s role as a peacekeeper, negotiator and aid provider. For an organization founded in San Francisco and headquartered in New York for over 70 years, that’s a rebuke that should shame his team. For an administration that’s puzzling its allies and playing up global tensions, the United Nations is more important than ever.

Lay off the financial threats, Mr. President.