After threatening to hold back U.S. funding to the embattled World Health Organization (WHO), President Donald Trump has announced that he has halted all funding to the organization for covering up the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The announcement was made during his daily Coronavirus task force update. Trump read from a prepared statement, but it was obvious (body language) that the president probably had other choice, more colorful words he would have preferred to use against the WHO and the Chinese government.
Trump said that because the U.S. was the group’s leading sponsor, it “has a duty to insist on full accountability.”
According to Trump, the U.S. gives the WHO anywhere between $400-500 million while China only funds the group with $40 million.
“I am instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to access the World Health Organization in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the Coronavirus. Everybody knows what's going on there. American Taxpayers provide between $400 million and $500 million per year to the WHO, in contrast to China who contributes roughly $40 million a year and even less. As the organization’s leading sponsor, the United States has a duty to insist on full accountability.
One of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations. They were very much opposed to what we did. Fortunately, I was not convinced and suspended travel from China saving untold numbers of lives. Thousands and thousands of people would have died.”- President Donald Trump
President @realDonaldTrump is halting funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess WHO's role in mismanaging the Coronavirus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/jTrEf4WWj0
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 14, 2020
