Trump says he is halting World Health Organization funding over handling of coronavirus

 

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has instructed his administration to at least temporarily halt funding to the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Trump, at a White House news conference, said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable." He said the group had promoted China's "disinformation" about the virus that likely led to a wider outbreak of the virus than otherwise would have occurred.

 

The United States is the biggest overall donor to the Geneva-based WHO, contributing more than $400 million in 2019, roughly 15% of its budget.

 

But Trump has been increasingly critical of the organization as the global health crisis has continued, accusing it of being too lenient with China in the earliest days of the pandemic, causing unnecessary deaths.

 

"The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable," Trump said.

 

The WHO has been appealing for more than $1 billion to fund operations against the pandemic. The U.N. agency needs more resources than ever as it leads the global response against the disease.

 

Trump said Washington would discuss with global health partners what it will do with the millions of dollars that would normally go to the WHO and said the United States would continue to engage with the organization.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-15

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4 minutes ago, webfact said:

"The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable," Trump said.

Amen. Time for qualified and competent individuals to take over running the WHO, otherwise just disband it. The UN too while we are at it. So great to see a leader brave enough to tackle this monstrosity, knowing it's hardly going to win him any Nobel gongs or praise from MSM. Great job Trump!!

The voice of insanity...

 

Can't get away from it;omnipresent,ever screeching,perseverating and exhibiting that true hallmark of a demagogue of the twitter age-"the arrogance of ignorance".

It really does seem to be time for the world to stop engaging with the U.S. until they get this lunatic out of the White House.

Will help him get votes .......

2 minutes ago, Slip said:

It really does seem to be time for the world to stop engaging with the U.S. until they get this lunatic out of the White House.

Yes, because everyone should support international agencies that parrot Communist Chinese propaganda. But no, the world will not stop engaging the US. We are and will continue to be the most powerful nation on Earth. Smaller, less powerful countries will continue to rely on us. And well past time we get something in return from these other nations and organizations.

I wish other nations would stop engaging with the USA. Like many people living in Thailand wish their in laws would stop coming over. Time to cut foreign aid while we are at it. America is in crisis now and we need to put America first. 

 

This thread should be good for some chuckles.

The Chinese figures are way too small. WHO should change the name to CHO. Stay safe, everyone.

1 minute ago, Cryingdick said:

I wish other nations would stop engaging with the USA. Like many people living in Thailand wish their in laws would stop coming over. Time to cut foreign aid while we are at it. America is in crisis now and we need to put America first. 

 

This thread should be good for some chuckles.

Well, stop engaging the US.... but they damn well better keep that free money coming!

19 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

The voice of insanity...

 

Can't get away from it;omnipresent,ever screeching,perseverating and exhibiting that true hallmark of a demagogue of the twitter age-"the arrogance of ignorance".

Perhaps you should change the channel or not read certain tweets. If you can't resist doing so, that says much more about you than anyone else.

1 minute ago, Crazy Alex said:

Perhaps you should change the channel or not read certain tweets. If you can't resist doing so, that says much more about you than anyone else.

 

People have nothing better to do being holed up. You can see the cracks starting to form in some.

6 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

Perhaps you should change the channel or not read certain tweets. If you can't resist doing so, that says much more about you than anyone else.

You are a laugh a minute...as is your crazy boss-who would forgo the experience of reading the rancid tweets of the biggest "Know Nothing" of them all?

 

 

THANK YOU, President Trump!

15 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

Yes, because everyone should support international agencies that parrot Communist Chinese propaganda. But no, the world will not stop engaging the US. We are and will continue to be the most powerful nation on Earth. Smaller, less powerful countries will continue to rely on us. And well past time we get something in return from these other nations and organizations.

Why is it that "the most powerful nation on Earth" isnt doing a great job fighting the virus, when smaller less powerful countries are doing ok ?

 

Seems the power doesn't equate to fighting a virus.

 

Maybe shoot the messenger and the world wont notice.

What took him so long?  WHO have been dismal and their head is a China puppet.

Another great move by out president Trump.

 

We Canadians are proud of you.

9 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Another great move by out president Trump.

 

We Canadians are proud of you.

 

Well n the bright side you Canadians are used to being holed up 9 months a year anyway. So no harm done. Just pretend it's still winter.

It´s becoming more and more obvious every day how much this incompetent man need other persons, organisations and whatever he can find to put his mistakes on and blame for his inability to cope with the situation in the country he is supposed to be the leader of.

It´s just to take a clear and visible example. Trump is probably one of the presidents that have fired and changed staff most. Here every Trump-lover is going to say that they where doing wrong and were the wrong people in the wrong place as well as they betrayed their president. Nah, the thing is not that simple when you look at it with clear eyes.

Here you have a president that is a former, and still, successful business leader and owner. As I have been saying all the time. It can not be because of him. I real leader does not make incompetent choices of as many people that he have fired and replaced in such a short time. If that in not incompetence, then it´s hard to know what is.

 

However, he has managed to take that with him, and incompetence is exactly what he offer the citizens of USA every single day.

4 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

It´s becoming more and more obvious every day how much this incompetent man need other persons, organisations and whatever he can find to put his mistakes on and blame for his inability to cope with the situation in the country he is supposed to be the leader of.

It´s just to take a clear and visible example. Trump is probably one of the presidents that have fired and changed staff most. Here every Trump-lover is going to say that they where doing wrong and were the wrong people in the wrong place as well as they betrayed their president. Nah, the thing is not that simple when you look at it with clear eyes.

Here you have a president that is a former, and still, successful business leader and owner. As I have been saying all the time. It can not be because of him. I real leader does not make incompetent choices of as many people that he have fired and replaced in such a short time. If that in not incompetence, then it´s hard to know what is.

 

However, he has managed to take that with him, and incompetence is exactly what he offer the citizens of USA every single day.

 

All that is needed to get Trump out of office is a reasonable alternative. So far that doesn't exist.  Come on man China isn't out to eat our lunch, China is our friends. You wanna do some push ups or go out back and I beat you like a drum, punk? Do ya punk?

 

That's good ole Joe.

10 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

What took him so long?  WHO have been dismal and their head is a China puppet.

Up till now, Trump has been using other methods of deflection, denial, Obama, the governors, the media etc etc. He is just working his way down his list. 

At this point in time what is the USA financial contribution shortfall for the WHO?

 

A short sighted self centred decision. Halting US funding for WHO will hurt the poorer and less developed countries combating disease due to trump's political battle with WHO. The decision could also provide an opening for China to increase influence and funding for WHO. As Churchill actually said "Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war". trump claimed he will divert funding to other international aid organisations, though bet you can expect he will refuse any oversight so a continuation of his corrupt 'swamp' like behaviour which for reasons I fail to understand, his supporters admire.

 

Yet again zero acceptance of any responsibility by trump for his errors of judgement, just blame, blame, blame. trump is unfit to represent the Office of the President of the USA

Trump of course bought WHO, by extension the Chinese reports they were feeding them about the virus hook line and sinker. He had US intelligence Agencies telling him it was bad, real bad but he chose to ignore his own intelligence net, from December through most of February.  Now that his own incompetence is getting called on the carpet by other news agencies than boot licking FOX,  Trump does what he does best:

 

He finds someone, or something  to blame his own incompetence on. Usual Stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, simple1 said:

At this point in time what is the USA financial contribution shortfall for the WHO?

 

A short sighted self centred decision. Halting US funding for WHO will hurt the poorer and less developed countries combating disease due to trump's political battle with WHO. The decision could also provide an opening for China to increase influence and funding for WHO. As Churchill actually said "Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war". trump claimed he will divert funding to other international aid organisations, though bet you can expect he will refuse any oversight.

 

Yet again zero acceptance of any responsibility by trump for his errors of judgement, just blame, blame, blame. trump is unfit to represent the Office of the President of the USA

I expect there will be T.H.O (Trump Health organisation) in the very near future. And it will be fully funded.

19 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Why is it that "the most powerful nation on Earth" isnt doing a great job fighting the virus, when smaller less powerful countries are doing ok ?

 

Seems the power doesn't equate to fighting a virus.

 

Maybe shoot the messenger and the world wont notice.

Per capita the EU is doing worse. Seems like we should be shooting the Chinese for trying to cover it up, no?

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I expect there will be T.H.O (Trump Health organisation) in the very near future. And it will be fully funded.

Maybe, there's an incredible about of syndrome circulating. Need a vaccine.

1 minute ago, rabas said:

Per capita the EU is doing worse. Seems like we should be shooting the Chinese for trying to cover it up, no?

 

Don't talk numbers with libs. It never adds up.

Damage control by Trump.

NY Times and other agencies publishing

very accurate timelines on how he was briefed

endlessly on potential pandemic hitting USA

and he went and played golf and dismissed it 

as a hoax.

 

 

 

    

1 hour ago, Slip said:

It really does seem to be time for the world to stop engaging with the U.S. until they get this lunatic out of the White House.

I think that will only embolden his base.

2 minutes ago, JimmyTheMook said:

Damage control by Trump.

NY Times and other agencies publishing

very accurate timelines on how he was briefed

endlessly on potential pandemic hitting USA

and he went and played golf and dismissed it 

as a hoax.

 

 

 

    

How can Trump and supporters be expected to blame WHO when you go and bring up inconvenient facts ???

 

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I think that will only embolden his base.

That's all the libs are capable of right now. Maybe try doing something similar on your side?