President Donald Trump is pulling the U.S. out of the World Health Organization for a second time, the White House announced late Monday.
The day-one executive order fulfills Trump’s campaign promise to reject global institutions. Health experts worry it isolates the U.S. with consequences for pandemic and disease response and diplomatic relations worldwide.
The U.S. is and has historically been the largest funder of the global health agency headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. WHO, part of the United Nations, is tasked with preparing for and fighting health emergencies. The U.S. has strongly influenced the agency since its founding after World War II.
Trump criticized WHO for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as his administration faced scrutiny for being slow to respond to the crisis. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, he began the process of pulling out from WHO.
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Despite his promise, he failed to do so under U.S. law governing the timeline for withdrawal and funding obligations to the agency. Former President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s decision after taking office and restored funding to WHO.
