Trump pulls WHO funding, says organization ‘must be held accountable’

By Fred Lucas | The Daily Signal

President Donald Trump made it official Tuesday that the administration was halting money to the World Health Organization, the international body that said in January that COVID-19 could not be spread by human-to-human contact, and praised China’s response to the virus.

“Our countries are now experiencing — look all over the world — tremendous death and economic devastation because those tasked with protecting us by being truthful and transparent failed to do so,” Trump said. “It would have been so easy to be truthful. And so much death has been caused by their mistakes. We will continue to engage with the WHO to see if it can make meaningful reforms.”

Trump said funding will be stopped during a review of the organization.

The White House

President Donald J. Trump, joined members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House.

“American taxpayers provide between $400 million and $500 million per year to the WHO. In contrast, China contributes roughly $40 million per year, and even less,” Trump said. “As the organization’s leading sponsor, the United States has a duty to insist on full accountability.”

“One of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations,” Trump continued, adding, “The WHO’s attack on travel restrictions put political correctness above lifesaving measures.”

The United States contributes 14.7% of the World Health Organization’s $38 billion budget, while China contributes only 0.21%, according to WHO’s numbers.

According to WHO, contributions from the U.S. government, American citizens, and U.S.-based charities make up 76% of all voluntary contributions to the organization. That amounted to $945.6 million from 2016 to 2017.

Congress authorized about $123 million in taxpayer funding for WHO in the last fiscal year, and Trump’s fiscal 2021 budget request proposed to reduce funding to about $58 million.

The announced review by the administration also comes as the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has begun an investigation into the WHO.

“The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain, vet, and share information in a timely and transparent fashion,” Trump said from the Rose Garden during the daily press briefing. “The world depends on the WHO to work with countries to ensure that accurate information about international health threats is shared in a timely manner. If it’s not, to independently tell the world the truth about what is happening.”

Trump also faulted the WHO for delays in declaring a public health emergency that he said “cost valuable time, tremendous amounts of time.”

On Jan. 14, WHO unquestioningly circulated China’s official talking points in a tweet, saying, “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel#coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China.”

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152?

“The WHO failed to investigate credible reports in Wuhan that conflicted directly with the Chinese government’s official accounts,” Trump said. “There was credible information to suspect human-to-human transmission in December 2019, which should have spurred the WHO to investigate immediately. Through the middle of January, it parroted and publicly endorsed the idea that there was not human-to-human contact despite reports and clear evidence to the contrary.”

Brett D. Schaefer, a fellow in international regulatory affairs at The Heritage Foundation, contends this may not be the best time to cut funding for the WHO, and worse yet, could make it more difficult to hold the organization accountable.

“Instead of ending funding during the current crisis, the U.S. should condition future funding to specific actions by the World Health Organization,” Schaefer wrote in an op-ed for The Daily Signal.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said Jan. 30 that “China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response.”

China backed Tedros in May 2017 when he ran for the top job at the World Health Organization.

During the press conference, Trump also announced the formation of Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, which would involve bringing together leaders from different sectors of the economy and American life.

“We have a list of people that I’ll be speaking to over the next very short period of time, in many cases, tomorrow,” Trump said.

Kay C. James, president of The Heritage Foundation, is among those in the thought leaders group, which also includes former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and John Allison, former president and CEO of the Cato Institute. Others involved include top executives from health care, retail, sports, tech, and agriculture, among other sectors.

Image courtesy of The White House

9 thoughts on “Trump pulls WHO funding, says organization ‘must be held accountable’

  1. So several years ago we posted this below video with regard to our Republic. At our new political party, who’s name I can’t print, we were concerned about misinformation on the basic civics of our country. Most think we are a Democracy which couldn’t be further from the truth.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VogzExP3qhI

    When you also watch this video it talks about how governments are changed. This was the most disturbing for us The lack of cooperation and commons sense from so many in higher office is plain for everyone to see. But even more so if you read and watch the videos of those who have and intend to change a political system, you’ll find everything fits like a glove with regard to the this very simple but explanatory video.

    If you study the Teachings of Sun Tzu, the Art of War that has been used for 100’s and thousands of years you’ll see a perfect match. If study the teachings of Saul Alinsky you’ll see a perfect match. If you read the book written by Sheryl Atkisson you’ll see a perfect match. If you read or watch the videos put out by Democratic Socialists, Now This, Media Matters, you’ll find a perfect match.

    You’ll find the systemic taking down of any right wing public figure follows the perfect pattern laid out in Rules for Radicals. Any Christian knows there is no perfect person on this planet. It’s easy pickin’s for people to drum up past dirt. Same for companies. So they immediately hold a big press conference and demand people be fired immediately, there is no reconciliation. This is also the plan use by every “organizer” in our state. The bus driver in Chittenden county, Schools in South Burlington, School in Milton.

    This systemic infiltration was laid out for all to see by Yuri Bezmanov, a soviet KGB agent you defected and warned America years ago. He laid out then, with terms we are using now our colleges and place of religion, that are being devastated, distorted and ruined just like the plan he laid out below.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gnpCqsXE8g

    Add to the fact now the Chinese own Hollywood. How’s telling and pimping for fear about Corona Virus? Chinese are buying our food and farms. Then there is this documentary below, Out of the Shadows. While they don’t get into it, it clearly exposes why we don’t tax pornography, why we don’t stop legal prostitution. Yuri spoke about how they break a country down, we get them confused about their sexuality. At first blush I thought how is that? Yet we have things on Porn Hub that go against nature and God, seriously one shouldn’t be bedding their family.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3405&v=MY8Nfzcn1qQ&feature=emb_logo

    This is probably too much for people to swallow at once. It goes back to Bushy senior, talking about the New World Order…..back in the 1990’s. Ross Perot had an idea of what was going on with Nafta, etc. probably more.

    We knew what is happening now in the united states was coming our way. It was almost a relief when the shut down America. It was a see……it is true.

    It explains why all our comments about taxing pornography never see the light of day on Vermont Digger. It’s no accident. Why wouldn’t Vermont tax this garbage, they tax movies?

    Once you read an view, suddenly everything makes sense and fits perfectly. Rather sad, frightening but if you don’t know what is going on you can’t fix it. We need to come together as the good people of Vermont to right this ship. It’s not Republican vs. Democrat. It’s American vs. New World Order.

    You watch, read, you decide.

    • There is a remedy,

      Yuri talks about it at the end of the video, was very surprised to hear him say this. One of the foundations of our country and Western civilization was and is the Bible. God’s word, really does get us going in the right direction, it answers all the problems we face and puts us in a good direction. Proverbs, Deuteronomy, Philomen….Matthew…that will give you a good first taste.

      I would have never in a million years thought or suspected I would be saying this words and this is the solution 10 years ago. But here it is, here’s where I’ve ended up when I started searching for the truth. May we have his new spirit of Love, Joy and Peace, the fruit of a better direction. His word is the sword that will bring all this darkness down, it’s truth and love. May he have grace and forgiveness upon us, TGBTG.

      • The WHO, the NWO, Gates, China, bring down America just like they point out in the little video and who “saves the day”?

        The United Nations a central overseer….the New World order, just like in the little video and suddenly America is no longer America. Our constitution is shredded, just like the video.

        The propaganda is so unbelievably massive it boggles the mind. Those who’ve been in Vermont politics can vouge, it’s in all forms within our State. This is the only site that allows people to speak openly and candidly. Thank you, thank you.

  2. The WHO is another UN bureaucracy that only serves the designs of the Marxist who control that organization. No more money for either the WHO or the UN!

  3. Before we continue to pour money down that rat hole, let’s find out why the head of the WHO made those false and misleading statements about the lethality of Covid-19 and praising China on its dealing with the virus. Trump is right to ask hard questions. He hasn’t ended our support, he has suspended it while the inquirey is conducted. There’s a big difference.

    • Always easy to tell when our President is over the right target – all the usual suspects start squealing. Thankfully that doesn’t discourage him one bit. Always entertaining to watch, because his opponents haven’t learned a thing.

  4. Not the best time for cutting the funding for WHO? The truth will hold them accountable.
    That “Dr” Tedros is not a doctor. He is a marxist terrorist, a nasty person.
    WHO is a globalist racket.
    We are incredibly fortunate to have such a brave and no BS man as President Trump.
    WHO is exposed. They can and will go to hell.

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