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Trump Defends WHO Withdrawal Amid Cruise Ship Outbreak Response Criticism
(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his administration’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), amid criticism that the move contributed to a delayed response to a recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaking at the White House, Trump rejected suggestions that the withdrawal had harmed international health coordination, arguing instead that the WHO had mishandled past health crises.
"We weren't being treated well, and they were making the wrong diagnosis," Trump told reporters at the White House after being asked whether he regretted pulling the US out of the WHO, which he accused of being overly influenced by China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also reiterated his long-standing complaint that the United States carried a disproportionate financial burden compared to other member states.
"We were paying for, let's say, 350 million people. We were paying $500 million a year ... and China was paying $39 million a year for 1.4 billion people."
Trump again criticized the organization’s performance during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it failed to provide accurate guidance.
“On COVID, they were totally wrong,” he said.
The US withdrawal from the WHO was formalized through an executive order signed at the start of Trump’s second term in January last year.
Commenting on the hantavirus outbreak itself, Trump said the disease is difficult to transmit and should not be overstated.
He emphasized that the pathogen was “not easy” to spread, while defending the broader handling of the situation by US authorities.
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