Reaffirming US Independence by Withdrawing from the World Health Organization
US withdraws from WHO, citing unfair funding and pandemic response.
Image: Rob Young/Flickr
Americans are done funding broken systems that are COSTLY and UNFAIR when others didn’t pay their share. HUGE decision, great for AMERICA!
This executive order from the White House initiating the process for the US to exit the WHO is set to take effect in January 2026.
By Donald Trump, US President
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Purpose
The United States has determined that membership in the World Health Organization no longer serves our interests. The WHO has coordinated global health for decades, but it has neglected to focus on US demands. It has not made reforms that put America first. This makes its continued existence in our budget impossible to justify.
We cite the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic as a key reason for withdrawal — ignoring that it served as our preferred scapegoat during a time of domestic chaos. The WHO has also neglected to blame China enough, which is still an obsession of ours.
Moreover, the financial inequality is unacceptable. We have been giving more money to the WHO than other countries, especially China, even though they have more people. Instead of being generous, we've chosen to save money and bet the health crisis won't notice we're gone.
Actions
(a) The US hereby begins withdrawal from the WHO. The 2021 letter retracting our original withdrawal has been revoked. This is because anything linked to the last administration must be erased out of principle.
(b) Executive Order 13987, which sought to combat COVID-19 through global leadership, is also revoked. Public health leadership is an unnecessary expense, especially when it involves the collective good.
(c) The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs will now oversee public health. This ensures that disease prevention will be run by the same team responsible for drone strikes because that feels efficient.
(d) The Secretary of State and Director of the Office of Management and Budget will:
- Halt all US funding to the WHO, effectively turning our global health contributions into a discontinued subscription plan.
- Recall US personnel working with the WHO so they can focus on domestic optics rather than saving lives abroad.
- Find credible alternatives to replace the WHO, ideally organizations we can micromanage or bully into submission.
(e) The Director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness shall rescind and replace the 2024 US Global Health Security Strategy with something more aligned with our core values of isolationism, budget cuts, and selective amnesia about how pandemics work.
Notification
The Secretary of State will inform the United Nations and WHO leadership of our withdrawal, preferably through a letter dripping with passive-aggression. This notification should remind them that it is their failure to act as America’s errand boy that led to this decision.
Global System Negotiations
The US will cease participating in negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations. Any agreements reached without us will not apply to the US because we don’t want pesky binding commitments to distract from our domestic PR efforts.
General Provisions
(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair the authority of any agency or department, shielding us from blame if things go horribly wrong.
(b) This order is dependent on appropriations, meaning we’ll hand this mess to Congress if it costs too much.
(c) This order does not create any enforceable right or advantage. If future pandemics or crises occur as a result of this decision, rest assured that no one can hold us accountable. ■
