The Trump administration has decisively severed ties with the World Health Organization (WHO), completing the U.S. withdrawal on January 22, 2026, as announced by the Department of Health and Human Services. Fulfilling a campaign pledge, President Trump issued an executive order on day one of his second term, triggering the one-year notice after his first-term attempt.
Citing WHO’s abysmal COVID-19 failures—like delayed emergencies, China pandering, suppressed data, and downplayed transmissions—the move ends all funding, recalls personnel, and halts participation in WHO bodies. The U.S., once the top funder, skips $260 million in dues, with limited recourse for the agency.
A senior official hailed it: “A promise made and a promise kept,” freeing U.S. health policy from “unaccountable foreign bureaucrats.” America will lead globally via bilateral pacts, NGOs, and faith groups, spearheaded by the CDC’s Global Health Center in 60 countries.
As WHO’s Tedros lamented it as “lose-lose,” this split empowers efficient, America-first health strategies, shielding citizens from international overreach.