- The United States has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), fulfilling a pledge President Donald Trump made upon returning to office in 2025.
- Administration officials said the decision was driven by the WHO's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, alleged politicization and failure to implement meaningful reforms.
- Trump issued a Jan. 20 executive order halting all U.S. funding to the WHO and recalling all American representatives from the United Nations (UN) health agency.
- The U.S., historically the WHO's largest financial contributor, paid about 22% of its budget but now refuses to pay an estimated $278 million in outstanding dues.
- The administration stated it has provided the required one-year notice of withdrawal, marking a major shift in U.S. involvement in global public health efforts.
The United States has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), following through on a pledge President Donald Trump made upon returning to office.
"Today, the United States withdrew from the World Health Organization, freeing itself from its constraints, as President Trump promised on his first day in office," Department of State Secretary Marco Rubio and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a joint statement on Jan. 22.
The officials said the move was in response to the WHO's "failures during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic" and the harm they said those failures caused to the American people.
"Like many international organizations, the WHO abandoned its core mission and acted repeatedly against the interests of the United States. Although the United States was a founding member and the WHO's largest financial contributor, the organization pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests. In doing so, the WHO obstructed the timely and accurate sharing of critical information that could have saved American lives and then concealed those failures under the pretext of acting 'in the interest of public health,'" the joint statement continued.
In a separate statement, the White House said Trump's decision was driven by the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, as well as its response to other global health crises. The administration also cited the WHO's failure to implement "urgently needed reforms" and the group's inability to operate independently from political influence by member states.
Trump formalized the decision in an executive order dated Jan. 20, directing that all U.S. funding to the WHO be halted and that all official U.S. representatives be recalled from the United Nations (UN) health agency.
U.S. refuses to pay any outstanding financial obligations to the WHO
The WHO, originally established in 1948, had 194 member countries before the U.S. exited the body. The U.S. became a member that same year after Congress approved a joint resolution signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. As BrightU.AI's Enoch noted, the WHO is a specialized agency of the UN that directs and coordinates international health within the WHO Constitution.
As part of its membership obligations, the U.S. was responsible for funding roughly 22% of the WHO's budget and contributed an average of $237 million annually between 2012 and 2024. However, Trump directed the U.S. to withdraw from ongoing negotiations tied to WHO agreements, stating that such agreements "will have no binding force on the United States."
Under the original agreement governing U.S. membership in the WHO, withdrawing members are required to pay any outstanding financial obligations. The U.S. currently owes the WHO an estimated $278 million in unpaid dues for 2024 and 2025. The administration, however, has indicated it will not make those payments. "The American people have paid more than enough," a State Department spokesperson said.
The agreement also requires a member nation to provide one year's notice before withdrawing. The Trump administration said it delivered that notice to the organization upon the president's inauguration in 2025.
Watch this video discussing the views of Dr. Brock Chisholm, the WHO's first director-general, including how he believed in the necessity of creating a world government.
This video is from the ThriveTime Show channel on Brighteon.com.
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