President Trump said Friday that the United States is “terminating” its relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) over its response to the novel coronavirus, following through on a threat issued earlier this month.
Speaking at a press conference in the White House Rose Garden, Trump accused the WHO of being under China’s “total control” and of failing to make reforms requested by his administration. The president said he would “redirect” funds promised to the WHO to assist other global health needs.
“We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act,” Trump said.
The announcement marks a further escalation with the global health body in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and is sure to prompt criticism from the health community. It follows a decision in mid-April to suspend funding to the WHO pending a review of the organization’s handling of the coronavirus.
The United States contributes upwards of $400 million annually to the WHO — the group’s largest contributor — and public health experts have warned that a suspension of funds would severely damage the organization.
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#BREAKING: Trump announces US is "terminating" relationship with WHO over its coronavirus response https://t.co/hTMMneia3a pic.twitter.com/BgiOPJVJvE
— The Hill (@thehill) May 29, 2020
Trump coming very close to alleging that China deliberately spread virus from Wuhan havjng shut it out of the rest of China. This is warlike rhetoric.
— Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) May 29, 2020
"In order to show how mad I am at China, I will now cede more power and international leadership to the Chinese Communist Party."
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 29, 2020
I've been criticizing US policy on China for decades. Tried to get my boss to vote against MFN back in 1990. But Lockhart's right: This is just handing China more leverage. It's classic Trump: "I don't understand or care about any of this, but if it makes me sound tough, okay." https://t.co/T0Sn5i9DuT
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 29, 2020
So, to sum up that presser:
The President of the United States is in deep trouble, and his strategy to deal with all that trouble is to see if he can provoke an international crisis with China.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 29, 2020
BREAKING: Trump announced the U.S. is officially leaving the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic.
WHO is currently coordinating international vaccine and drug trials to fight #Covid19 pic.twitter.com/ZWiXlXbcNs
— POLITICO (@politico) May 29, 2020
The WHO has many failings but was still playing an important role on Covid response; especially in the developing world. We could have used our leverage to reform it from the inside. Now we won’t have that opportunity, at a critical juncture as Covid spreads to low income nations https://t.co/0AXEEw0EtL
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) May 30, 2020
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