W.H.O. Reels After U.S. Withdrawal Slashes Budget on Second-Term Start

On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump made good on a long-standing promise, decisively pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), a move that has sent shockwaves through the Geneva-based U.N. agency. The W.H.O. responded on Saturday, revealing plans for a sweeping restructuring and financial overhaul to cope with the loss of its largest benefactor.

Trump’s decision to sever ties with the W.H.O. stems from his administration’s sharp criticism of the organization’s handling of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and other global health emergencies, a stance previously highlighted by Breitbart News. Signing the executive order, Trump didn’t mince words, pointing to the stark disparity in contributions:

“That’s a big one,” Trump said. “So, we paid $500 million to [the] World Health Organization when I was here, and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, we have 350 … nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally. But, let’s say we have 325, they have 1.4 billion, they were paying $39 million, we were paying $500 million. Seemed a little unfair to me, so that wasn’t the reason, but I dropped out.”

The U.S. exit deals a devastating blow to the W.H.O.’s finances, as the country accounted for a whopping 18 percent of the agency’s budget, dwarfing contributions from other nations. A W.H.O. memo, dated March 28 and signed by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, painted a grim picture, stating, “The United States’ withdrawal, alongside cuts in development aid from some nations shifting funds to defense, has plunged us into a dire financial state.”

The memo, cited by Reuters, outlined the fallout: a looming $600 million shortfall this year has forced the W.H.O. to propose slashing its 2026-27 budget by 21 percent, from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion. This comes after an earlier trim in February by the executive board, which had already dialed back the budget to $4.9 billion. “Despite our best efforts, we’re now forced to scale back our work and workforce,” the memo lamented.

The cuts will hit hard, starting with senior leadership positions at the W.H.O.’s Swiss headquarters, though no level or region will be spared. By the end of April, the agency plans to finalize how it will prioritize its dwindling resources and redefine its mission amid this seismic shift.

Trump framed the withdrawal as a matter of fairness and principle, noting that while funding inequities weren’t the sole reason for the exit, they underscored broader issues with the W.H.O.’s priorities. “That’s a big one,” he remarked, signaling that the move was as much about reclaiming U.S. sovereignty as it was about righting a perceived financial wrong.