Reports suggest President-elect Trump’s team plans to announce US withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 20th.
According to the Financial Times, citing health experts, President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team aims to remove the US from the WHO on the first day of his administration, significantly impacting the agency’s funding. The FT reports that members of Trump’s team have informed experts of their intention to announce this withdrawal on inauguration day. While some within the team advocate for US membership with reforms, those pushing for complete withdrawal reportedly hold the sway.
The FT, citing Ashish Jha, a former White House Covid response coordinator, states that the team desires a day-one withdrawal for the symbolic reversal of President Biden’s January 2021 reinstatement of US relations with the WHO. This reinstatement followed President Trump’s initiation of a withdrawal process in 2020, driven by his criticism of the WHO’s coronavirus pandemic response.
On January 20, 2021, President Biden resumed US engagement with the WHO after President Trump’s initiated withdrawal. Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown Law professor of global health, warned the FT that a day-one withdrawal would be “catastrophic,” leaving a “huge vacuum in global health financing and leadership.”
The WHO, a UN agency coordinating international health efforts, relies on member state dues and voluntary contributions. The US has been a major donor for decades and currently ranks as the second-largest contributor.
In 2020, President Trump accused the WHO of being influenced by China, alleging pressure to misrepresent the virus’s severity. He pledged to redirect US funds to other global health charities.
A 1948 Congressional resolution allows US withdrawal from the WHO, requiring a year’s notice and the payment of outstanding dues. The FT notes the Trump team has not directly commented on this potential withdrawal.
In November, President Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, for the position of US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy Jr. has been a vocal critic of WHO-recommended Covid-19 response measures, such as lockdowns and rapid vaccine deployment.
Senate confirmation of Kennedy’s nomination is pending.