On Monday night, President Donald Trump signed an executive order formally withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing the global health body of unfair practices and claiming it “ripped off” the U.S.
The WHO, which monitors global disease outbreaks, has historically relied heavily on U.S. funding and collaboration, including partnerships with the CDC and NIH on issues like cancer prevention and global health security.
This move is seen as an effort to complete a withdrawal Trump initiated during his previous term.
While his 2020 attempt was reversed by President Biden before it took effect, this time the process, which requires a one-year notice, is likely to proceed without opposition from Congress, according to Lawrence Gostin, a global health law expert. By 2026, the WHO is expected to lose its largest financial supporter.
Trump dismissed the importance of the WHO in managing global pandemics, framing the decision as a rejection of exploitation. “Everybody rips off the United States, and that’s it — it’s not going to happen anymore,” he said.
The executive order criticized the organization’s funding structure, highlighting that China, despite its much larger population, contributes significantly less than the U.S.
Gostin acknowledged China’s smaller financial contributions but emphasized that cutting U.S. funding would not pressure China to pay more. Instead, he described the withdrawal as a devastating blow to global health initiatives and a decision that would harm both the WHO and the U.S., which benefits from the organization’s global reach and research collaborations. While Gostin agreed that reforms are needed, he called the withdrawal “a catastrophic presidential decision” that endangers both global and U.S. health security.
