WHO Exit Planned by Trump on First Day of New Administration

The United States is set to withdraw from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) on January 20, 2025, the first day of President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration, according to a report from the Financial Times on Sunday.

This decision, if finalized, would sever ties with the global health body and eliminate its largest single source of funding.

“Donald Trump’s transition team is pushing to pull the US out of the World Health Organization on the first day of the new administration, according to experts who warn of the “catastrophic” impact it would have on global health.”

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— Wide Awake Media (@wideawake_media) December 22, 2024

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The U.S. currently provides approximately 16 percent of the W.H.O.’s budget, which stood at $6.83 billion in 2024.

Trump has long criticized the organization, accusing it of being excessively aligned with China and failing to act transparently, particularly during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report states that members of Trump’s transition team have informed experts of their intention to officially announce the withdrawal on Inauguration Day.

This move would complete a process that began during Trump’s previous term but was halted after Joe Biden reversed the decision upon taking office in 2021.

“In 2020, Trump initiated the process to leave the W.H.O. as COVID-19 spread, accusing the agency of being under China’s control,” the Financial Times noted.

“But the process was never finished, and his successor Joe Biden restarted relations with the agency on his first day of office in 2021.”

Sources familiar with the Trump team’s plans indicate that they are prioritizing a rapid withdrawal this time around, citing the symbolic significance of reversing Biden’s initial move.

“There are lots of people who are going to be part of the inner circle of the administration who do not trust the W.H.O. and want to symbolically show on day one that they are out,” said Ashish Jha, Biden’s former White House coronavirus response coordinator and dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health.

Trump has been an outspoken critic of the W.H.O., particularly for what he describes as its “China-centric” approach. In April 2020, he publicly accused the organization of favoring Beijing, stating, “They seem to be very China-centric. That’s a nice way of saying it, but they seem to err always on the side of China.”

Conservative voices have also raised concerns about the financial burden the W.H.O. places on American taxpayers, pointing to the significant funding provided by the U.S. despite perceived inefficiencies and biases within the organization.

“The same W.H.O. that we left in the first administration? It seems like we wouldn’t much care what they have to say,” an individual familiar with the Trump transition team’s plans told the Financial Times.

The decision to announce the withdrawal on Inauguration Day underscores the Trump administration’s broader goal of asserting a hardline stance against what it views as globalist organizations that undermine U.S. sovereignty.

Experts suggest the timing is deliberate, intended to mark a sharp departure from the policies of the Biden administration.

While the Trump team has not officially commented on the withdrawal, the move would represent a significant shift in U.S. global health policy, likely impacting the W.H.O.’s ability to operate effectively without its largest contributor.

As the date approaches, the international health body and its member states are expected to closely monitor developments.

This potential withdrawal signals a continuation of Trump’s America-first approach, with significant implications for global health initiatives and the future role of the U.S. in international organizations.

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