The President of the USA, Donald Trump, announced on Monday evening that he had signed an executive order to withdraw the country from the World Health Organization. The signing took place at the White House in Washington just a few hours after Trump's inauguration. The president told reporters: "WHO has deceived us." According to the order, the USA will also cease funding and reassign any employees or contractors working with the organization.
There was no immediate reaction from the World Health Organization to this step. Trump stated that the Mexican Gulf will be transferred to America. "We won't give it (the channel) to China, we're handing it over to Panama," Trump explained. He also confirmed that the USA would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.
In his speech on Monday, Trump stated that America needs to return the Panama canal: "We handed it over to Panama, and we are getting it back." "We will restore the Panama Canal," he confirmed, stating that China controls this important maritime route. The Punchbowl News newspaper received a document from the White House confirming the USA's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Commissioner of the European Union on climate change, Funke Hoxtra, called the decision by President Donald Trump to exit the Paris Climate Agreement "a shame." Trump had previously not ruled out the use of force against Panama. "We are sending astronauts to Mars," he added. "We will restore strategic reserves and will export the energy of the United States to the world."
"All deceive the USA... it won't happen again," Trump stated. The USA is the largest donor and partner organization. The organization stated that the USA contributed $1.284 billion between 2022 and 2023. In 2020, Trump indicated a withdrawal from WHO, accusing the organization of being unable to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and becoming a puppet in the hands of China.
He Biden exploited his first day in office in 2021 to stop the withdrawal. The executive order notes that the USA is withdrawing "due to the unsuccessful handling of the organization with the COVID-19 pandemic that started in Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, the need for urgent reforms, and the inability to demonstrate its independence from the overwhelming political influence of the organization's member states."
