US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), marking a significant shift in the country’s foreign policy on global health issues. The order was one of many executive actions the president signed on his first day back in office, signaling an immediate move on this longstanding issue. This marks Trump’s second attempt to pull the US out of the Geneva-based organization.
Previously, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump criticized the WHO’s handling of the outbreak and accused the body of being too favorable toward China. His administration had initiated the withdrawal process, but President Joe Biden later reversed the decision upon taking office in 2021. In his remarks after signing the executive order, Trump expressed the weight of the decision, remarking, “Oooh, that’s a big one,” as he finalized the move.
He also alluded to the possibility of a future re-entry into the WHO, stating, “They wanted us back so badly so we’ll see what happens,” perhaps leaving the door open to renegotiating the US’s role at the agency. The executive order justifies the withdrawal by accusing the WHO of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic, failing to implement urgent reforms, and being unduly influenced by political forces, particularly China. It also criticizes the financial contributions the US makes to the WHO, deeming them “unfairly onerous.
” Under the Biden administr.