Trump Moves to Withdraw U.S. from WHO with Executive Order

U.S. President Donald Trump has taken immediate action to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) with a new executive order, signed on his first day in office.

As he approved the document at the White House, Trump remarked, “That’s a big one,” referring to the significance of the move. This decision marks the second time Trump has attempted to pull the U.S. from the global health agency.

During his previous term, Trump expressed strong dissatisfaction with the WHO’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led him to initiate the withdrawal process. President Joe Biden reversed that decision after taking office, but now, with this executive order, Trump is once again pushing to make the withdrawal official.

“They wanted us back so badly, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office, hinting that the U.S. might consider rejoining the organization in the future.

The executive order criticizes the WHO for its handling of the pandemic, especially its response to the outbreak originating in Wuhan, China. It also calls out the organization for failing to implement needed reforms, as well as for alleged political bias and the influence of member states, particularly China. Additionally, the order decries what it describes as “unfairly burdensome payments” the U.S. made to the WHO, which is part of the United Nations system.

Previously, Trump had accused the WHO of being overly influenced by China during the Covid-19 crisis. Under the Biden administration, however, the U.S. remained the largest funder of the WHO, contributing nearly one-fifth of the agency’s $6.8 billion annual budget in 2023.

In response to Trump’s decision, the WHO expressed regret over the announcement. “The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the organisation,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in a statement. The agency emphasized its disappointment over the U.S. move to leave.

Health experts have expressed concern that this move could harm global health efforts. Critics warn that withdrawing from the WHO could undermine efforts to combat infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, and could hurt the U.S.’s leadership role in scientific research and public health initiatives.

Ashish Jha, who served as the Covid-19 response coordinator under President Biden, previously cautioned that pulling out of the WHO could have serious repercussions, not only for global health but also for U.S. scientific influence.

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