Trump Open to Rejoining WHO After Withdrawal

In a surprising turn of events, President Donald Trump indicated he is open to potentially rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO). This statement came shortly after he signed an executive order announcing the withdrawal of the United States from the prestigious international health body.

Concerns Over Financial Contributions

Speaking at a rally held at Circa Resort & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the current financial arrangement between the U.S. and WHO, particularly in regards to China. He pointed out the stark contrast in contributions, citing that while the U.S. contributes approximately 0 million annually to the WHO, China only pays million, despite having a significantly larger population.

“We paid 0 million a year and China paid million a year, despite a much larger population. Think of that. China’s paying million to have 1.4 billion people, and we pay 0 million even though – no one knows what the hell we have; does anyone know?” Trump remarked to the crowd, emphasizing the perceived imbalance.

A Possible Reconsideration

During his speech, Trump described a recent negotiation attempt with the WHO wherein they offered to reduce the annual fee from 0 million to million, a proposal he ultimately rejected. “They offered me at million; they said ‘We’ll let you back in for million,’ and I turned them down because it became so popular I didn’t know if it would be well received even at million. But maybe we would consider doing it again, I don’t know. They have to clean it up a bit,” he explained.

An analysis by NPR further detailed the financial disparities, noting that the United States supplies approximately 10% of the WHO’s budget while China contributes about 3%.

Reasons Behind the Withdrawal

The juxtaposition of Trump’s remarks becomes even more significant when one considers his initial rationale on why the U.S. withdrew from the WHO. The executive order to withdraw was signed mere hours after Trump was sworn into office. Among his criticisms were the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, its failure to implement urgent reforms, and what he described as “unfairly onerous payments” imposed on the U.S.

It’s worth noting that during Trump’s first term, he made efforts to detach the U.S. from the WHO in July 2020. However, his successor, former President Joe Biden, reinstated the nation’s participation in this global health initiative.

Parallels with NATO Concerns

Trump’s grievances over WHO contributions echo his criticisms regarding the financial dynamics of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump called on NATO nations to bolster their contributions to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) for defense spending, significantly higher than NATO’s established threshold of 2%. According to Trump, many countries failed to meet this requirement until he began advocating for increased funding.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has echoed Trump’s concerns, stating that countries like Spain, Italy, and Canada have yet to comply even with the minimal 2% contribution standard.

Future of U.S. Defense Spending

Following his push for NATO members to increase their contributions, Trump cast doubt on the rationale for continued U.S. financial support for the organization altogether. In a statement from the Oval Office, he voiced his concerns, saying, “I’m not sure we should be spending anything, but we should certainly be helping them,” referencing the protection the U.S. provides to these nations, while those same members reportedly do not provide reciprocal protection.

Conclusion

Despite the complexities surrounding Trump’s statements about the WHO and NATO, his open consideration of rejoining the WHO reveals a nuanced stance regarding international cooperation and funding. As the situation continues to unfold, Trump’s administration’s approaches to international relations, health, and defense spending remain pivotal topics of discussion in the political arena.

The White House has thus far declined to comment on the specifics of Trump’s remarks and the potential decision to rejoin the WHO.