Trump orders U.S. withdrawal from World Health Organization

01/26/2025 / By Laura Harris

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing the organization’s “mishandling” of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its inability to demonstrate independence from member states like China.
Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the financial contributions of the U.S. to the WHO, stating the U.S. was paying too much compared to other countries like China, and accused the WHO of aiding China in covering up the origins of the coronavirus.
The withdrawal from WHO is not immediate and will take effect in January 2026 due to a requirement of giving a year’s notice and paying financial obligations to the organization for the current fiscal year.
The U.S. withdrawal would be “a grievous wound to public health” and an “even deeper wound to American national interests and national security,” according to a public health law expert at Georgetown University, but some public health figures like the CEO of Children’s Health Defense supported the decision.
The WHO’s mission is to confront health challenges and advance the well-being of the world’s people, but the organization is facing calls for radical reform or even a total reversal of direction and values from some public health figures.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing the organization’s “mishandling” of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms.”

The executive order, which was formally initiated by the first Trump administration in July 2020, cites the WHO’s failure to adopt urgently needed reforms and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of member states, including China.

During the signing of the executive order, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the financial contributions of the U.S. to the organization, stating that the U.S. was paying too much compared to other countries like China. He also pointed to his previous allegations that the WHO aided China in covering up the origins of the coronavirus and allowing its spread.

Moreover, the White House argued that the “organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”

However, the process of withdrawal from the WHO is not immediate. A joint resolution adopted by Congress at the agency’s founding requires the U.S. to give a year’s notice and pay its financial obligations to the organization for the current fiscal year. Meaning, the withdrawal would take effect in January 2026.

CEO of Children’s Health Defense applauds Trump’s decision to withdraw from WHO

The WHO, founded in 1948 with significant U.S. support, is a key player in global health initiatives, providing aid to war-torn areas and monitoring emerging epidemics like Zika, Ebola and COVID-19. Its biennial budget is approximately $6.8 billion, with the U.S. contributing a significant share.

According to Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO would be “a grievous wound to public health” and an “even deeper wound to American national interests and national security.” The mission of WHO, as stated on its website, is to confront the biggest health challenges of our time and measurably advance the well-being of the world’s people. (Related: WHO focusing more on policing speech about public health and implementing global surveillance systems.)

But other key public health figures like Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense (CHD), lauded Trump’s decision.

“I applaud President Trump’s decision to leave the WHO. It hasn’t been transparent, based on science or serving the U.S. interest in public health. The WHO is not a reformable institution. Its proposed Pandemic Treaty is a nightmare and would lead to more gain-of-function research and pandemics,” Holland said. She also hoped that the move would spark a global reconsideration of handling public health and international crises.

David Bell, a public health physician and biotech consultant, echoed similar sentiments. Bell, who has previously worked as a medical officer and scientist at the WHO, called for a “radical shake-up” of the organization. He suggested a “massive downsizing” and a return to basic public health principles, rather than the current focus on rising pandemic risk, which he views as a profit-driven agenda. “If WHO does not respond by a total reversal of direction and values, then we should hope that this withdrawal goes forward and others join,” Bell said.

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Watch this video discussing the views of Dr. Brock Chisholm, the WHO’s first director-general, including how he believed in the necessity of creating a world government.

This video is from the ThriveTime Show channel on Brighteon.com.