Trump initiates another withdrawal of the US from WHO
President Trump has reignited the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization, a process that commenced during his initial term and was subsequently reversed by Joe Biden. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
During his first term, the US president initiated the exit process from the World Health Organization, a decision later reversed by Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump recently announced the United States' intention to withdraw from the World Health Organization. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order to kickstart this process, indicating that the US would officially depart from the UN global public health agency within a year.
This announcement marks the second time Trump has sought to withdraw from the WHO. In 2020, he began the exit process, accusing the organization of aiding China in “misleading the world” regarding the origins of Covid-19. His successor, Joe Biden, would later undo this decision on his inauguration day.
The executive order signed by Trump expressed that the US was withdrawing “due to the organization’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic.” It also pointed to the WHO’s supposed “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
The president further claimed that the organization imposed “unfairly onerous payments” on the US, which he argued were disproportionate compared to what other, more populous nations, such as China, contribute.
“World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump remarked during the signing of the executive order, as reported by media sources.
As a coordinating body on international health matters, the WHO depends on funding from member states and voluntary contributions. For decades, the US has been among the organization's largest donors. During the Biden administration, the US maintained its status as the largest contributor to the WHO, which operates with a budget of $6.8 billion for the current fiscal year. In 2023, nearly one-fifth of the WHO's funding came from the US.
Having been a member since the WHO's establishment in 1948, the withdrawal would result in the US becoming the only major power not affiliated with the 194-member organization.
In response to the announcement, the WHO expressed “regret” over the US decision to withdraw, highlighting its crucial role in global health and security. The agency pointed to its recent reforms aimed at improving accountability and efficiency, urging the US to reconsider its choice for the sake of global health.
On Tuesday, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that Beijing would continue to support the WHO.
“The role of the WHO should only be strengthened, not weakened,” Guo asserted.
In November, Trump nominated longtime vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy for the position of US Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has been a vocal critic of the WHO’s recommended Covid-19 response measures, which included strict lockdowns and the quick deployment of vaccines. His nomination is still pending approval from the Senate.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
President Donald Trump recently announced the United States' intention to withdraw from the World Health Organization. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order to kickstart this process, indicating that the US would officially depart from the UN global public health agency within a year.
This announcement marks the second time Trump has sought to withdraw from the WHO. In 2020, he began the exit process, accusing the organization of aiding China in “misleading the world” regarding the origins of Covid-19. His successor, Joe Biden, would later undo this decision on his inauguration day.
The executive order signed by Trump expressed that the US was withdrawing “due to the organization’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic.” It also pointed to the WHO’s supposed “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
The president further claimed that the organization imposed “unfairly onerous payments” on the US, which he argued were disproportionate compared to what other, more populous nations, such as China, contribute.
“World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump remarked during the signing of the executive order, as reported by media sources.
As a coordinating body on international health matters, the WHO depends on funding from member states and voluntary contributions. For decades, the US has been among the organization's largest donors. During the Biden administration, the US maintained its status as the largest contributor to the WHO, which operates with a budget of $6.8 billion for the current fiscal year. In 2023, nearly one-fifth of the WHO's funding came from the US.
Having been a member since the WHO's establishment in 1948, the withdrawal would result in the US becoming the only major power not affiliated with the 194-member organization.
In response to the announcement, the WHO expressed “regret” over the US decision to withdraw, highlighting its crucial role in global health and security. The agency pointed to its recent reforms aimed at improving accountability and efficiency, urging the US to reconsider its choice for the sake of global health.
On Tuesday, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that Beijing would continue to support the WHO.
“The role of the WHO should only be strengthened, not weakened,” Guo asserted.
In November, Trump nominated longtime vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy for the position of US Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has been a vocal critic of the WHO’s recommended Covid-19 response measures, which included strict lockdowns and the quick deployment of vaccines. His nomination is still pending approval from the Senate.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
