LAS VEGAS, Jan 25, 2025 – President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he may consider rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO), just days after ordering a US exit from the global health agency. Trump cited the WHO’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and other international health crises as reasons for the initial decision.
“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.
The US is scheduled to leave the WHO on January 22, 2026. Trump announced the move on January 20, after being sworn in for a second term in the White House. The US is the biggest financial backer of the WHO, contributing around 18 percent of its overall funding. The WHO’s most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion.
Trump expressed dissatisfaction that the US paid more into the WHO than China, which has a much larger population. He also mentioned plans to ask Saudi Arabia to increase its investment in the US to $1 trillion, up from the $600 billion the Saudis have pledged.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently informed Trump that the kingdom wants to invest $600 billion in expanded trade and investment with the US over the next four years.