U.S. Withdraws from WHO Following President Trump’s Order
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The United States is poised to officially exit the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, marking a significant moment one year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the withdrawal.
On his first day in office, Trump declared that the U.S. would be leaving the United Nations health agency. However, U.S. law mandates that the country must provide a year’s notice and settle all outstanding fees before officially departing.
According to reports from Reuters, the WHO has indicated that the U.S. has not yet paid its dues for 2024 and 2025, which amount to approximately $260 million. The organization’s member states are scheduled to deliberate on the U.S. departure and its implications during the WHO’s executive board meeting in February.
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U.S. President Donald Trump tours the Ford River Rouge Complex on January 13, 2026 in Dearborn, Michigan. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has recently urged the U.S. to reconsider its withdrawal, labeling it a significant loss for the global community. “I hope the U.S. will reconsider and rejoin WHO,” he stated at a news conference earlier this month. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a loss for the United States, and it’s a loss for the rest of the world.”
In May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recorded a video message for the World Health Assembly, explaining the rationale behind Trump’s decision to withdraw. He criticized the WHO for becoming “mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international power politics.”
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. previously said the World Health Organization had become “mired in bureaucratic bloat.” (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, which supports various global health initiatives, including some of the WHO’s work, expressed skepticism about the U.S. reversing its decision. In an interview with Reuters, he stated, “I don’t think the U.S. will be coming back to WHO in the near future.”
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Trump began the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO in 2020, but President Joe Biden reversed course upon taking office in 2021.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department and the White House for comments regarding the U.S. exit without settling its outstanding fees and the potential impact on global health initiatives.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
The United States is poised to officially exit the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, marking a significant moment one year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the withdrawal.
On his first day in office, Trump declared that the U.S. would be leaving the United Nations health agency. However, U.S. law mandates that the country must provide a year’s notice and settle all outstanding fees before officially departing.
According to reports from Reuters, the WHO has indicated that the U.S. has not yet paid its dues for 2024 and 2025, which amount to approximately $260 million. The organization’s member states are scheduled to deliberate on the U.S. departure and its implications during the WHO’s executive board meeting in February.
TRUMP FLOATS MASSIVE TARIFFS ON FRENCH WINE AND CHAMPAGNE OVER MACRON BOARD OF PEACE REJECTION
U.S. President Donald Trump tours the Ford River Rouge Complex on January 13, 2026 in Dearborn, Michigan. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has recently urged the U.S. to reconsider its withdrawal, labeling it a significant loss for the global community. “I hope the U.S. will reconsider and rejoin WHO,” he stated at a news conference earlier this month. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a loss for the United States, and it’s a loss for the rest of the world.”
In May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recorded a video message for the World Health Assembly, explaining the rationale behind Trump’s decision to withdraw. He criticized the WHO for becoming “mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international power politics.”
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. previously said the World Health Organization had become “mired in bureaucratic bloat.” (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, which supports various global health initiatives, including some of the WHO’s work, expressed skepticism about the U.S. reversing its decision. In an interview with Reuters, he stated, “I don’t think the U.S. will be coming back to WHO in the near future.”
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Trump began the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO in 2020, but President Joe Biden reversed course upon taking office in 2021.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department and the White House for comments regarding the U.S. exit without settling its outstanding fees and the potential impact on global health initiatives.
Reuters contributed to this report.
