In a bold move, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision to cut ties with the Geneva-based health body comes amid continued criticism from Trump, who has expressed dissatisfaction with the WHO’s response to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Before signing the document in the Oval Office, Trump said, “That’s a big one,” referring to the importance of the decision. Details of the order were not immediately available, but the implications of the US withdrawal are far-reaching. “They wanted us back so badly so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to the WHO, perhaps hinting the US might return eventually.
WHO Faces Financial Strain Amid US Exit
The World Health Organization has historically received a good portion of its funding from the US. Contributions from the US during the 2024-25 budget cycle represented 19 percent of the revenue, amounting to $662 million. The absence of the US will leave a huge gap that may affect its ability to deliver in case of global health crises.
Because it will lose one of its largest financiers, the WHO will see its efforts to address humanitarian crises, as well as infectious and chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, come to a total loss. Indeed, the WHO has been working diligently to battle worldwide health problems since the effort began to wipe out smallpox and continue its fight with HIV, polio, and now cholera and dengue fever.
Trump accused the WHO of being biased towards China in how it issued guidance during the outbreak. Under the Biden administration, the US continued to be the largest funder of the WHO and in 2023 it contributed almost one-fifth of the agency’s budget. The organization’s annual budget is $6.8 billion (£5.5 billion).
Trump’s Long-Time Criticism of the WHO
Trump’s executive order is part of a long string of dissatisfaction with the WHO, especially in terms of its management of the coronavirus. At the end of his first term, Trump tried to leave the organization after accusing it of giving in too much to the Chinese government during the initial phase of the outbreak. He criticized the WHO for not taking prompt action against the virus, and this move faced widespread criticism from health experts as well as Democrats in Congress, who took it as a political move to shift attention from the maladministration of this pandemic by his administration.
He Reversed Trump’s Withdrawal Effort
In January 2021, when President Joe Biden came into office, he undid the attempt by former President Donald Trump to withdraw from the WHO and reaffirmed the US commitment to the global health body. With Trump now in power again, his decision to withdraw may once again set the stage for a US exit from the WHO, though legal challenges may arise.
US Exit May Face Legal and Congressional Hurdles
While the constitutionality of a unilateral US withdrawal from the WHO is still undetermined, a report from the Congressional Research Service dated 2020 implies that presidential power to unilaterally withdraw from the WHO may be restricted. Nevertheless, Congress is dominated by Republicans, so they are likely to not challenge Trump’s action, and therefore, the US might soon leave the health organization.
Serious Blow to the Global Activities
Such a withdrawal would be an unmitigated blow to the WHO, as it has contributed to improving public health response to issues globally. The WHO has been instrumental in addressing the infectious diseases of HIV, polio, and cholera and health emergencies relating to the Marburg virus. The United States’ withdrawal may badly compromise the WHO’s capability to respond to these health crises.
In conclusion, this executive order on withdrawal from WHO by Trump marked a dramatic turn in US foreign policy and cast significant questions into the future of global health cooperation. With this move, when the world still faces several health threats, the US could further strain the efforts toward combatting emerging diseases and ensuring global health security.