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Trump Pulls US from World Health Organization
The U.S. is officially leaving the World Health Organization.
The Trump Administration notified the United Nations general secretary-general on Tuesday that the U.S. is leaving the WHO. President Trump has been highly critical of the organization for its poor handling of the coronavirus crisis. He also called out its too-close-for-comfort relationship with China. White House officials also notified Congress of the administration’s decision, which becomes effective July 2021.
Trump has accused the organization of having a pro-China bias. Additionally, there is speculation that the organization may have coordinated with Chinese officials to cover up the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
In May, the administration released a lengthy report detailing specific instances of the WHO’s improper conduct. This includes multiple examples of the organization pandering to Chinese pressure to downplay the pandemic. The U.S. has been one of the largest contributors to the WHO for years. However, the organization seems to regularly act against U.S. interests. Despite the obvious case against the bloated and arguably ineffective organization, the decisions drew criticism from both sides of the aisle.
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Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted that the administration informed Congress of the withdrawal.
"To call Trump’s response to COVID chaotic & incoherent doesn't do it justice."— Bill Bush (@ReporterBush) July 7, 2020
Democrats were quick to condemn the decision. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) released a tweet criticizing the president for leaving the WHO during a pandemic. “To call Trump’s response to COVID chaotic & incoherent doesn't do it justice. This won't protect American lives or interests—it leaves Americans sick & America alone,” said Menendez.
The announcement of the U.S. exit also drew rare dissension in the Republican ranks. Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said the president should hold back on sanctioning the WHO until after the pandemic subsides. “I disagree with the president's decision. Certainly there needs to be a good, hard look at mistakes the World Health Organization might have made in connection with coronavirus, but the time to do that is after the crisis has been dealt with, not in the middle of it,” said Alexander. “If the administration has specific recommendations for reforms of the WHO, it should submit those recommendations to Congress, and we can work together to make those happen,” he said.
Democratic Presidential hopeful Joe Biden didn’t pass up the chance to criticize his opponent. He said he would rejoin the WHO on the first day he took office if he wins in November. However, Trump’s notice of exit doesn’t take effect until July 2021. Therefore, it’s unclear why Biden thinks the US would have to rejoin if it hadn’t even left yet.
Trump V.S. the WHO
Trump has been critical of the WHO from the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. Back in May, he announced the U.S. would distance itself from the organization.”They have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs,” the president told reporters. “The world is now suffering as a result of the misfeasance of the Chinese government.”
Many mainstream media outlets are maintaining that Trump’s case against the WHO isn’t based on fact, but that’s disputable. The administration has detailed several examples of WHO impropriety and the organization has frequently pandered to China since the onset of the pandemic.
The WHO has praised Chinese “transparency” regarding the virus despite multiple reports that the Chinese government covered up the outbreak and suppressed information about the virus for weeks leading up to the global outbreak. WHO officials also criticized Trump’s China travel ban despite obvious evidence that the disease was spreading rapidly through the country. The international health experts also supported China’s claim that the virus couldn’t be spread through person-to-person transmission.
The WHO sucks up billions of US dollars every year, but it does little to support American interests. Trump seems to have good reason for pulling the U.S. out of the group, but his opponents in the media and D.C. don’t seem to be willing to acknowledge the reasons behind his decision.
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