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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, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday April 15 2020, @10:47PM (9 children)
Saying they had no evidence when they had no evidence (because China was hiding it) is not a lie.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by hemocyanin on Wednesday April 15 2020, @11:28PM (8 children)
You are being intentionally obtuse. Take these two statements:
1) [RANDO] The virus is a hoax.
2) [EXPERT] There is no evidence to support person to person transmission.
#1 is clear but not likely given much weight because of a lack of credibility. In contrast, #2 has built into it a whole slew of assumptions enhancing credibility and very clearly implies that COVID-19 just isn't that big a deal. Kind of like how astrophysicist might say: "there is no evidence to support a flat earth hypothesis, we're scientists, this is our specialty, we know our shit." Most people are going to take that at face value because of the pedigree of the speaker. Apparently though, when WHO says something, we must treat their pronouncements with the same skepticism we'd treat anything Alex Jones says. This is an important realization because if WHO is the Alex Jones of public health, what the fuck are we doing paying them?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @12:14AM (7 children)
You're just desparate to give Trump a scapegoat. Care to discuss the verified lies Trump told that went counter to all the intelligence and recommendations from our own agencies and the WHO?
Not gonna hold my breath waiting for a reply :|
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @01:30AM (6 children)
I don't care about Trump. Didn't vote for him, will be voting 3d party yet again in all likelihood. What galls me is the level of self-righteousness his opponents engage in when those opponents are either no better or worse. It galls me that people call him a fascist and yet Obama created the practice of due process free execution of American citizens based on the content of youtube vids (speech), but gets treated like Jesus 2.0 instead of a war criminal. It particularly galls me that the media is so glaringly partisan. It might gall me enough to vote Trump out of spite, but time will tell on that count. It infuriates me that the best the DNC can do (aside from trying reignite the cold war with a nuclear power), after three fucking years, is come up with nothing but a creepy dementia patient as "opposition".
Trump could have been way better on this CV19 thing. He wasn't and that's really sad. But lets put him in context with Biden or Pelosi or DeBlasio or Cuomo -- it makes me livid. And then you have the press -- CNN headline [msn.com] today: "Prominent scientist have bad news for the White House about coronavirus antibody tests" -- you fucking partisan self-satisfied douche, it's bad news for Americans. The difficulty in creating a test isn't something to jump for joy about because you get a stupid fucking snipe point, but that's the level of Democrats today. Total fucking cunts.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:09AM (5 children)
Yes, it is bad news for Americans, but in the context of the article, it is bad news for the White House because they're the ones who keep telling the lies that "millions" of people have been tested and that "anyone who wants a test can get one" and that "these tests have really been ramping up" all the time. Nobody is jumping for joy. They are doing a service to self-ignorant dumbfucks like you by pointing out how absolutely shitty the situation has been, and how there has been absolutely no fucking leadership from the top.
"I'm not responsible for anything"
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday April 16 2020, @04:29PM (4 children)
Yeah, it's a shame all them folks dying cause they couldn't get cured by a test. Oh, wait...
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @12:49AM (3 children)
the fuck is wrong with you???
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday April 17 2020, @03:36AM (2 children)
According to all the progtards on their Listen and Believe campaign about testing? That I can tell the difference between a test and a cure.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @05:15AM (1 child)
Ah, you are mixing politics with science. Think I found your problem, but there is no cure for someone like you. One day you'll figure out that the cure was inside you all along!!!
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday April 17 2020, @12:56PM
Nope. I'm pointing out that progtards are harping on testing as if it were a cure. The movers and shakers are doing it because they think it will hurt Trump. The rank and file are doing it because they're fucking idiot sheep. The folks with TDS are doing it because they'll jump on anything anti-Trump; hell, they'd call for puppy genocide if he said he liked dogs.
Testing don't solve shit unless it can be done to everyone on demand with a minimum of twice a day being necessary to make a difference. What it does do and is useful for is it lets medical folks gather data after the fact.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.