Donald Trump signed a pile of executive orders after being sworn in and on his first day in office. These included a specific order to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization. His qualms toward the specialized agency of the United Nations have been expressed since the coronavirus pandemic and further reiterated during his 2024 campaign.
Trump Against WHO: Key Reasons Why He is Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization
1. Criticism From the Alleged Mishandling of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The frustration of Trump with the WHO can be traced back to the height of the coronavirus pandemic. He accused the organization of mishandling the global response to the global health crisis with specific assertions that it was biased toward China. He even accused the WHO of being under the control of the Chinese Community Party and further argued that it failed to hold China accountable for the early and eventual global spread of the SARS-Cov-2.
2. Protecting Sovereignty From the Perceived Political Influence of WHO
Another reason Trump has been wanting to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization centers on his broader policy of promoting U.S. sovereignty in international affairs. He prefers a more nation-focused approach to public health. Furthermore, on his first day in office, he claimed that the organization has an inappropriate political influence over the U.S. Trump is signaling that he can stand up to international bodies perceived as biased.
3. Disproportionate and Disadvantageous U.S. Financial Contributions
Trump believes that there is no point for the U.S. to be part of WHO. He pointed out that 18 percent of the funding of the organization comes from the U.S. government. However, despite this substantial financial support, Trump argues that it has not acted independently from the influence of its member states. He wants to redirect U.S. funds toward domestic or bilateral health initiatives. This is aligned with his criticism of multilateral non-state actors.
Process and Implications: What Will Happen Once the U.S. Completed Its Withdrawal from the World Health Organization?
The withdrawal process is set to take 12 months. All financial contributions from the U.S. will be halted during this. This is not the first time that Trump has sought to exit the WHO. A similar attempt was reversed by Joe Biden in 2020. Nevertheless, during the withdrawal process and upon its completion, global health initiatives could be affected. These include programs addressing tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and emergency responses. The U.S. will also cease negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty, recall its personnel, and revise its Global Health Security Strategy.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Emmanuel, G. 20 January 2025. “Trump Declares U.S. Will Withdraw From the World Health Organization.” NPR. Available online
- McDonald, J., Rieder, R., Gore, D., Farley, R., Robertson, L., and Kiely, E. 15 April 2020. “FactCheking Trump’s Attack on the WHO.” org. Available online
- Wingrove, P. and Rigby, J. 21 January 2025. “Trump Orders US Exist From The World Health Organization.” Reuters. Available online