Published 11:43 IST, January 26th 2025
Donald Trump To Rejoin WHO? Here's What He Said
Trump announced that the US will leave the WHO on Jan. 22, 2026. Trump announced the move on Monday, January 20, after he was sworn in for a second term.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday, January 25, that he may consider rejoining the World Health Organization.
The announcement comes days after he ordered a US exit from the United Nations body, due to what he described as a mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
"Maybe we would consider doing it again; I don't know. Maybe we would. They would have to clean it up," Trump said at a rally in Las Vegas, Reuters reported.
US Leaves WHO
Trump announced that the US will leave the WHO on Jan. 22, 2026. Trump announced the move on Monday, January 20, after he was sworn in for a second term in the White House.
Earlier deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said, "I can confirm we have now received the U.S. letter on the WHO withdrawal. It is dated 22 January 2025. It would take effect a year from yesterday, on 22 January 2026," Reuters quoted.
Trump's decision to quit WHO is not shocking. He took steps to quit the health body earlier as well in 2020, during his first term as president.
Before the US withdrawal could be completed last time, Joe Biden won the presidential election and put a stop to it on his first day in office on Jan. 20, 2021.
The US is by far the biggest financial backer of the WHO, contributing around 18 per cent of its overall funding. The WHO's most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion, Reuters reported.
Trump told the crowd in Las Vegas he was unhappy that the US paid more to the WHO than China, which has a much bigger population.
Trump To Ask Saudi's To Invest
He also said that he would ask Saudi Arabia to make an investment of about $1 trillion in the U.S., up from the $600 billion the Saudis have pledged to invest.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Trump in the past week that the kingdom wants to put $600 billion into expanded investment and trade with the U.S. over the next four years.
(Reuters inputs)
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Updated 11:43 IST, January 26th 2025