President Donald Trump utilized his first day back in office to put a handful of executive orders in motion, one of which was announcing the United States’ withdrawal from the WHO, the World Health Organization.
This wasn’t exactly a surprising move, considering Trump’s history with the organization. He attempted to remove the U.S. from the WHO in 2020 before Joe Biden overturned the decision and resumed funding for the organization. One of Trump’s major running points during his campaign was keeping American dollars in-house and not paying for what he perceived to be a waste of funds, which always meant the WHO was in jeopardy.
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Trump cited the organization’s “mishandling” of the COVID-19 pandemic as the main reason for the decision.
Donald Trump Pulls The United States Out of the WHO
Above all else, it’s the money the country has invested in the WHO that ultimately fueled the decision. America has been the WHO’s largest donor since its inception in 1948. The country has routinely given around $163 million in yearly contributions, with that number going as high as over $800 million at times. There are up to 194 countries involved in the WHO, with America providing up to a fifth of the organization’s funding, per USA Today.
“Everybody rips off the United States and that’s it—it’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said on Monday during a press conference.
Without the United States providing funding, the WHO will now likely lean on China, which has typically been the next largest provider. The order signed by Trump on Monday specifically mentions the population size of China and the fact that, despite it being far larger than The States’, the country pays less than 90% of what America does to the WHO.
Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom have rounded out the top five contributing countries over the years.
The World Health Organization has yet to comment on Monday’s order.
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