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The United States withdraws from the World Health Organization in line with executive orders from US President Donald Trump. The 47th POTUS, who assumed office on Monday, January 20, 2025, has been a longtime critic of the United Nations’ health projects. In July 2020, during his reign as the 45th US president, Trump launched his move to cut ties with WHO amid the coronavirus pandemic, citing the organization’s poor response to the global health crisis. However, before the move’s final execution, Trump lost the presidential seat to Joe Biden, who immediately halted the US withdrawal.
Four years later, Donald Trump returns to the White House, resuming his move to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization. In an executive order signed on Monday, the administration cited WHO’s “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic” originating from Wuhan, China. The executive order also highlighted the organization’s poor response to other global health crises, “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and inability to demonstrate independence from the appropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
Executive Order Highlights the World Health Organization’s Political Favoritism
The WHO withdrawal decree, which is one of many executive orders Donald Trump signed within his first 24 hours as president, further claimed that the World Health Organization continued to demand “unfairly onerous payments” from the US. This payment, according to the order, was “far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payment.” Trump’s declaration cited China’s contribution to the WHO, reporting that the country contributed 90% less than the US despite having 300% of the United State’s population.
Going further, the executive order declared that order 13987, signed by Joe Biden on January 25, 2021, to halt the United States’ initial order to withdraw from the WHO has been revoked. Donald Trump put measures in place to ensure a smooth transition in the health sector as the US officially withdraws from the WHO. These measures were detailed in subsequent sections of the White House Executive Order.
Donald Trumps WHO Withdrawal Move Sparks Criticism
This move from the president to pull out the US from WHO is stirring backlash despite gaining widespread approval back in 2020. Major health experts have kicked against the executive decree, highlighting the numerous benefits of the organization to the US and the world at large. Americans have also turned to social media to voice their opinions on the subject, predicting a looming catastrophe should the WHO withdrawal succeed. Expressing their outrage, one Reddit user wrote,
“He’s still sore over his botched handling of Covid… What a small minded little man he is.”
Another fired,
“This is like a f–king disaster movie.”
A third Redditor wote,
“MAGAs voted for the needless deaths and suffering of many. And they’ll be shocked when they are included.”
Concerns Over Health and Political Implications of Trump’s WHO Withdrawal
Another user suggested that “the Next pandemic is going to be a nightmare,” without the WHO’s resources at the country’s disposal. One netizen explained that the WHO had a stockpile of research data available to members. However, with Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization, the country would have no access to that data anymore. By implication, Americans would likely end up “less healthy” under Trump’s reign. The Redditor, Tosser1579 wrote,
“If you have a strange condition… well, your doctor just lost a lot of tools to look up what ails you. This is bad, and will make everyone less healthy but we elected a felon so what did we expect?”
Dr. Ashish Jha, who worked under the Biden administration as the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, joined the pool of critics. Speaking to CNN, the medical expert highlighted the importance of the “essential organization,” describing the US withdrawal as a strategic error. Ashish believes the US exit creates a political vacuum, allowing China to swoop in. This, in turn, gives China more political influence worldwide, ultimately giving them an upper hand as opposed to Trump’s actual intentions.
