‘President Trump threatened to permanently freeze US funding to the World Health Organization if the organization doesn’t agree to make major improvements in the next month.
In a letter to the WHO Director, Trump alleged WHO ignored credible warning signs about coronavirus as it emerged in China.
Additionally, Trump WHO knew about the virus’s severity on the ground and via communications, they received from Taiwan. The WHO continued to make claims about the coronavirus which were “either grossly inaccurate or misleading” repeatedly.
Trump ended the letter by informing him to make improvements or get cut off from US funding:
It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world. The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China. My Administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organization. But action is needed quickly. We do not have time to waste. That is why it is my duty, as President of the United States, to inform you that, if the World Health Organization does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization. I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America’s interests.
The letter:
This is the letter sent to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization. It is self-explanatory! pic.twitter.com/pF2kzPUpDv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020
One International Relations professor noted this could further cede influence to China in the international community:
With China announcing $2B in additional funding to WHO, and the US saying it will pull its $553M in 30 days, re-upping my @thedispatch article warning that Trump’s strategy won’t reform WHO, but will just anger other countries and cede influence to China.https://t.co/tjBhhUuheH
— Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) May 19, 2020
