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BBC: Coronavirus: US to halt funding to WHO, says Trump
US President Donald Trump has said he is going to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) because it has "failed in its basic duty" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
[...] Mr Trump has been under fire for his own handling of the pandemic.
He has sought to deflect persistent criticism that he acted too slowly to stop the virus's spread by pointing to his decision in late January to place restrictions on travel from China.
[...] The US is the global health body's largest single funder and gave it more than $400m in 2019.
A decision on whether the US resumes funding will be made after the review, which Mr Trump said would last 60 to 90 days.
[...] China gave about $86m in 2018-19; UK gives most of any country apart from the US
[...] The organisation launched an appeal in March for $675m to help fight the pandemic and is reported to be planning a fresh appeal for at least $1bn.
Reuters: Trump halts World Health Organization funding amid coronavirus pandemic
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would halt funding to the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic while his administration reviews its response to the global crisis.
Trump told a White House news conference 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 hold on funding was expected. Trump has been increasingly critical of the organization as the global health crisis has continued, and he has reacted angrily to criticism of his administration’s response.
[...] U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday it was “not the time” to reduce resources for the body.
“Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” he said.
American Medical Association President Dr. Patrice Harris called it “a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier” and urged Trump to reconsider.
[...] The Republican president recently accused the WHO of being too lenient with China in the earliest days of the crisis, despite having himself praised China in January for its response and transparency.
Trump has made frequent use of scapegoats during his short political career. He often lashes out at the media, Democrats, or others when he feels attacked or under pressure.
The Guardian: Trump turns against WHO to mask his own stark failings on Covid-19 crisis
Donald Trump’s declared suspension of funding of the World Health Organisation in the midst of a pandemic is confirmation – if any were needed – that he is in search of scapegoats for his administration’s much delayed and chaotic response to the crisis.
The US is the WHO’s biggest donor, with funding over $400m a year in both assessed contributions (membership fees) and donations – though it is actually $200m in arrears. [pdf]
Theoretically the White House cannot block funding of international institutions mandated by Congress. But the administration has found ways around such constitutional hurdles on other issues – by simply failing to disburse funds or apply sanctions, for example.
The funding could be formally rescinded, but that would require Senate approval, or “reprogrammed” by being diverted to another purpose that the White House could argue is consistent with the will of Congress.
[...] The WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had to fly to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping on 29 January to negotiate entry and information sharing. A WHO team was allowed to visit Wuhan on 22 February. Tedros has been criticised for his flattery of Xi and the Chinese response, in the face of Beijing’s obstructionism and cover-up attempts. His defenders said that such diplomacy was the price for entry.
Trump did more than his own fair share of Xi flattery. On 24 January, the president tweeted “China has been working very hard to contain the coronavirus … The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.”
The claim that the delay in the WHO acquiring samples crippled the international response is also false. Chinese scientists publicly released the genetic sequence of Covid-19 on 11 January.
[...] By early February the WHO was in a position to distribute a Covid-19 test worldwide, but the US government opted not to have it fast-tracked through approval. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instead produced its own test at about the same time, but it was flawed and had to be recalled. US testing would be set back more than six weeks compared to the rest of the world.
While virtually no testing was under way in the US throughout February, Trump assumed the consequently low number of confirmed US cases meant that his country had somehow escaped. “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA,” he boasted on 24 February, nearly a month after the WHO declaration of emergency. “We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health [Organisation] have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday April 15 2020, @09:10PM (13 children)
Name a lefty that called this dangerous virus a hoax. Should be easy if they're both equally ignorant, right?
(Score: 3, Informative) by hemocyanin on Wednesday April 15 2020, @09:31PM (8 children)
Do you mean literally used the word "hoax" or used other words, such as:
From a Feb 25 tweet from Janice Hahn [wikipedia.org] in which she quotes LA Public Health: https://i.imgur.com/6zfa9Ec.png [imgur.com]
We've all seen Pelosi in San Fran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFCzoXhNM6c&feature=emb_logo [youtube.com]
Oxiris Barbot in NYC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=58&v=_mCg8eWPS04&feature=emb_logo [youtube.com]
DeBlasio of course: https://i.imgur.com/wDDEXOR.jpg [imgur.com]
Cuomo would rather gut state medicaid of 2.5 billion during a pandemic than accept 6.7 billion in Fed aid for the pandemic: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/03/andrew-cuomo-medicaid-coronavirus [jacobinmag.com]
So tell me, is using the word "hoax" your key issue to try to score trumpPoints, or do you care about actions?
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday April 15 2020, @10:22PM (7 children)
Wow. The President of the United States of America calls it a hoax and you come back with a city councilwoman saying people should follow local healthservice guidelines.
Nice.
(Score: 1) by hemocyanin on Wednesday April 15 2020, @11:37PM (6 children)
Move the goal posts much? You asked for statements from lefties, not Trump? And Pelosi -- she's just a poor powerless little nobody nobody every listens too. Same with Cuomo and mayor of NYC. The LA Public Health Department is sooooo irrelevant -- it affects what, like 6 people? /sarc
I suspect if one invested the time, the pile of Democrats speaking with authority from a foundation of ignorance would be quite high. Hurry, before they delete their tweets.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @01:23AM
Pelosi has both you and Trump wetting your Depends.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @03:13AM (4 children)
I watched some videos someone else linked to, and none of the dems came anywhere close to Trump's level of idiocy.
But ok, you conservatives are desperate to not admit you crowned an insecure man baby with troubling tendencies towards corruption and treason. Oh, and despotism. Let us not forget today's insanity:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-adjourn-chambers-of-congress-senate-house-white-house-briefing-constitution-a9467616.html?utm_source=reddit.com [independent.co.uk]
technically he has the authority if congress doesn't agree on a date, but surprise surprise they did! Trump is yet again an incompetent boob trying to turn the US Presidency into a dictatorship.
Oh well, I've lost hope on any sort of patriotic affiliation with the US Constitution from conservatives.
(Score: 1) by hemocyanin on Thursday April 16 2020, @03:35AM (3 children)
A) I'm not a conservative. I don't know how to frame myself but the terms left/liberal/progressive are so coopted I can't use those, but I'm also not a republican or democrat. I've voted Green in the last two elections.
B) If he's following the Constitution there's nothing to bitch about. It's fairly obvious why congress wasn't adjourning (prevent recess appointments) and so if they want to play hardball, it's fair for a president to do the same, so long as everything stays inside Constitutional bounds.
As for being a despot, until Democrats repudiate and prosecute all those involved in the due process free execution of American citizens based on the content of their speech, rooted in secret legal memos -- I don't give your outrage two shits.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @03:39AM (2 children)
lol, "lefties" but you're not a conservative. I buy that for one penny.
Democrats tried to impeach him, a certain segment of the US spent all their time calling it bullshit. Nice that you will refrain from calling out Trump's bullshit contingent on Democrats and no Republicans on... well I'm not really sure what. Due process free execution of American citizens based on the content of their speech, rooted in secret legal memos? Still no idea what that means, but your conditions on it reveal your inherent biases. Glad you voted green, you must be one of the good conservatives :P
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:41PM
Remember that meme from the last election: If Hillary won we'd be out to brunch?
You were out to brunch.
https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2012/07/aclu-sues-awlaki-khan-death/ [motherjones.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:44PM
All you Obama supporters -- out to brunch, not paying attention while he went full fascist.
https://www.salon.com/2011/09/30/awlaki_6/ [salon.com]
(Score: 3, Touché) by Bot on Wednesday April 15 2020, @10:41PM
LOL no lefty will use the term hoax because once you suspect something of being an hoax you create a DANGEROUS precedent. The truth is one and is what we decide.
Italian premier of a lefty gov, Conte
jan 31: no panic, just wash hands https://www.fanpage.it/politica/coronavirus-lappello-di-conte-non-diffondere-il-panico-non-serve-cambiare-stile-di-vita/ [fanpage.it]
feb 4: regional governors want to quarantine chinks? enforce border controls? no wai. Conte against the racist virus (https://www.globalist.it/politics/2020/02/04/conte-contro-il-virus-razzista-dei-governatori-del-nord-fidatevi-delle-autorita-2052528.html)
feb 25: regional governors, who keep blaming us after we blamed them because they did what we wanted, must be overridden (with what legal justification? emergency powers of the FEMA equivalent Protezione Civile) https://www.iltempo.it/politica/2020/02/25/news/coronavirus-scontro-governo-regioni-giuseppe-conte-attilio-fontana-poteri-protocollo-sanita-codogno-1285645/ [iltempo.it]
feb 26: Finally, after extending some closure to some regions, the government starts buying medical supplies. Not for the hospitals, mind you, for themselves. https://www.iltempo.it/politica/2020/04/12/news/coronavirus-premier-conte-mascherine-governo-palazzo-chigi-gel-guanti-bombole-ossigeno-meta-febbraio-mediberg-calcinate-1313500/ [iltempo.it] at the same time "Italy is a safe place, SAFER THAN MOST", says Conte while overriding whatever local governor by dictating freedom of movement on all other places that his government deemed safe. http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/Coronavirus-Conte-Italia-paese-sicuro-italiani-possono-circolare-presto-effetto-contenitivo-Dopo-incontro-con-Governatori-alla-Protezione-civile-e5adc4e9-86d7-4250-bc27-bdb6b6044d61.html [rainews.it]
So, see, the complete 180 degree turn without needing to call hoaxes or say sorry.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 3, Informative) by slinches on Wednesday April 15 2020, @10:49PM (2 children)
Except Trump never called the virus itself a hoax. Calling the media depiction of how he handled the response to the virus a hoax is not the same thing.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:18AM
I read that quote. It was incoherent. You're right that it didn't exactly call COVID a democratic hoax, but it was so presented that if you only read quickly it seemed to mean that. In actuality it didn't mean anything, or at least you could reasonably argue that it didn't mean any particular thing you didn't want it to mean.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:27AM
He said that the Democrats were politizing the coronavirus and that it was their new hoax, so you are technically correct in that he didn't say the virus was a hoax, but that it wasn't at all serious (the flu is more deadly), that it was totally under control, and that the media was in hysteric mode when there was only 15 cases "in this massive country." Don't forget that those 15 cases would soon go to zero and it would all magically disappear.
But you are correct, he didn't say the actual virus was a hoax.
He of course later said that he knew before anybody that it was a pandemic and very bad news.