Washington – Donald Trump wasted no time on his first day as President of the United States (US). Trump officially withdrew the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the official White House website on Tuesday (1/21/2025), Trump exercised his presidential authority under the US Constitution and laws to decide the US withdrawal from WHO. Trump attributed the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic to WHO’s mismanagement.
“The United States is withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, and other global health crises,” stated the White House.
Trump also criticized the independence of WHO member states from political influence. He claimed that WHO imposed burdensome financial demands on the US, with contributions significantly exceeding those of other member nations.
Additionally, Trump highlighted China’s role in WHO, arguing that its contributions were disproportionately small.
“China, with a population of 1.4 billion, which is 300 percent larger than that of the United States, contributes nearly 90 percent less to WHO,” the White House statement added.
With this, the US has solidified its decision to withdraw from WHO. “The United States intends to withdraw from WHO. The President’s letter to the UN Secretary-General, signed on January 20, 2021, which revoked the US withdrawal notice from July 6, 2020, is hereby rescinded,” the statement concluded.
