Trump’s decision to withhold funds from the WHO is dangerous
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a pause in funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) on April 14. As part of his daily press briefing, Trump emphasized the country’s “duty to insist on full accountability” and publicly asked for a review into the agency’s “mismanaging” of the pandemic. The United States is the largest single contributor to the WHO, and the withdrawal of Trump’s support will be a significant hit to its budget. It is not yet clear whether the White House can actually withhold funding, especially the portion approved by Congress, and if so, how much can be held back. Nevertheless, even talk of doing so in the middle of a global health and economic crisis may have dire consequences.