United States Officially Withdraws from WHO Under Executive Order 14155, Citing COVID-19 Failures and Politicisation

The United States has formally terminated its membership in the World Health Organization (WHO), executing Executive Order 14155 signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

This historic decision ends decades of U.S. participation as the organisation’s largest financial contributor and a founding member since 1948, marking a major shift in global health governance.

In a joint statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused the WHO of failing during the COVID-19 pandemic, alleging that the body pursued a politicised, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests. They claimed the organisation obstructed timely and accurate information sharing that could have saved lives and concealed these shortcomings under public health pretexts.

The officials further alleged that the WHO “tarnished and trashed” U.S. contributions even during the withdrawal process, citing symbolic disputes such as refusing to return the American flag from its Geneva headquarters and demanding compensation. “From our days as its primary founder, primary financial backer, and primary champion until now, our final day, the insults to America continue,” the statement read.

Key elements of the withdrawal include the immediate cessation of all U.S. funding and staffing for WHO initiatives, limiting future engagement solely to managing the orderly exit and safeguarding American health interests, and a strategic pivot toward bilateral partnerships with trusted nations and health institutions. The administration emphasised replacing what it described as “bloated and inefficient bureaucracy” with a more focused, transparent, and effective model. The statement framed the move as justice for Americans affected by pandemic-era restrictions, declaring: “We will get our flag back for them.”

The United States was instrumental in founding the WHO in 1948 as a specialised agency of the United Nations and historically contributed the largest share of its budget, around 15–20% of assessed and voluntary contributions combined.

Tensions escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic over the WHO’s early handling of information from China, delays in declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and perceived deference to Beijing. President Trump first announced withdrawal intentions in May 2020, but the process was paused and later reversed under the Biden administration in January 2021.

The 2026 withdrawal revives that earlier policy. Executive Order 14155, signed on 20 January 2026, directed the formal notice of withdrawal under Article 7 of the WHO Constitution, which allows members to exit with one year’s notice, making the withdrawal effective in January 2027. During this notice period, the U.S. will maintain limited engagement to wind down obligations.

The implications are significant. Financially, the WHO loses its largest contributor to its $6–7 billion biennial budget, creating funding gaps unless other donors step in. Globally, critics argue the move weakens multilateral pandemic preparedness and response, while supporters contend it frees the U.S. from inefficiency and politics, enabling more targeted bilateral aid.

Domestically, the withdrawal fulfils a core “America First” pledge, energising Trump’s base while drawing criticism from public health experts, Democrats, and international allies who view it as isolationist. Operationally, the U.S. will continue partnerships with organisations such as Gavi and CEPI and maintain leadership in vaccine development, outbreak surveillance, and health security.

The statement concluded: “We right these injustices and bring an end to the bureaucratic inertia, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international politics that have rendered the organisation beyond repair.”