In one of his first major policy moves since being sworn in for a second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision, which fulfills a promise made during his re-election campaign, sets in motion a year-long process that will culminate in a complete severance of ties between the US and the UN’s premier global health body.
Under the terms of the order, the US will cease all funding to the WHO effective immediately and begin the formal process of extricating itself from the organization. The US currently contributes around $400 million per year to the WHO, representing about 15% of its total budget, making it by far the agency’s largest benefactor.
Accusations of Mismanagement and China Bias
In announcing the decision, Trump leveled a litany of accusations against the WHO, arguing that it had been co-opted by China and failed in its duty to protect the world from the Covid-19 pandemic. “The WHO’s reliance on China’s disclosures likely caused a twenty-fold increase in cases worldwide, and it may be much more than that,” Trump said. “The WHO has not addressed a single one of these concerns nor provided a serious explanation that acknowledges its own mistakes, of which there were many.”
Specifically, Trump alleged that the WHO downplayed early reports about the virus’s human-to-human transmission, opposed travel restrictions, and blindly accepted China’s assurances about the outbreak. He also accused WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of inappropriate political influence from member states like China.
“World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore.”
– President Donald Trump
Echoes of 2020 Withdrawal Attempt
This is not the first time Trump has sought to cut ties with the WHO. In July 2020, during his first term, he initiated a withdrawal process over similar complaints about the organization’s Covid-19 response and alleged favoritism toward China. That decision was reversed by President Joe Biden upon taking office in January 2021.
The renewed attempt is likely to face strong pushback from public health experts, US allies, and international aid organizations who see the WHO as a vital, if flawed, coordinator of global health efforts. Many fear that an American withdrawal will undermine the agency’s ability to combat not just Covid-19 but a host of other threats like polio, HIV/AIDS, and future pandemics.
Broader Foreign Aid Review
Alongside the WHO announcement, Trump signed a second executive order freezing all US foreign aid for 90 days pending a comprehensive review to ensure funds are not “wasted or abused.” The move appears targeted at development and humanitarian assistance, which Trump has long criticized as ineffective and misguided.
While the specifics remain unclear, the aid pause could impact billions in funding for global health, economic development, refugee support, and food security programs. It’s also likely to strain relations with aid partners who depend on US contributions to sustain their operations.
A Inward Turn for Global Health
Taken together, the WHO withdrawal and foreign aid review signal a sharp inward turn for US global health engagement under Trump’s second term. Rather than working through multilateral channels, the administration looks poised to focus on bilateral programs and partnerships aligned with American strategic interests.
Critics worry this approach will create dangerous gaps in the global health safety net and cede ground to geopolitical rivals like China. Supporters argue it will make US investments more accountable and ensure resources flow to areas of greatest need. Regardless, Trump’s first-day decisions make clear that his “America First” doctrine will continue to steer policy in his second four years.
As the WHO withdrawal moves forward and the foreign aid review gets underway, all eyes will be on the administration to see how it intends to uphold US leadership in global health while untethering itself from the international system that has long sustained it. The stakes for the world’s most vulnerable could not be higher.
