Trump Withdraws from the World Health Organization

President Trump has withdrawn the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its Covid failings, allegations of being soft on China, and the disproportionate share of funding borne by the United States.

There is even more wrong in how WHO leaders have wielded their influence. In recent years, the organization has not just been about promoting public-health internationally, but also in using its clout to impose woke cultural agendas on the world — including areas that have traditional moral values — and in seeking to construct an international technocracy.

Item: WHO sought to force a radical abortion regime on the world by allowing abortion through the ninth month and curtailing the right of conscience by doctors to refuse to terminate a pregnancy.

Item: WHO sought, but failed, to establish so-called “gender affirming care” on children as a medical right.

Item: A treaty being negotiated at the U.N. would grant WHO the power to make binding policy when it declared an international health emergency, thereby weakening national sovereignty and increasing the power of “the experts.” The treaty would have also allowed WHO to control discourse in the name of preventing misinformation. Trump’s EO also ends U.S. participation in those negotiations.

The withdrawal is a real shame because the organization provides valuable public health and medical services internationally. But WHO is currently controlled by overly China-friendly cultural imperialists — seemingly as interested in imposing progressive hegemony as in actually promoting health properly understood. That needs to change.

The withdrawal takes a year to go into effect. Let’s hope WHO uses that time to clean the Augean Stables so that Trump feels comfortable in rescinding his decision.