Donald Trump threatens to pull US out of WHO over concerns about coronavirus handling and because it’s ‘puppet of China’
DONALD Trump has threatened to pull the US out of the WHO over it's handling of the Covid-19 outbreak branding it a "puppet of China."
threatened to stop sending the agency cash "permanently" in a letter to chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus which he later posted on Twitter.
Citing "serious concerns" over the World Health Organization's conduct during the pandemic, the Republican firebrand also said he would "reconsider our membership."
Trump claims the WHO "consistently ignored credible reports of the virus spreading in Wuhan," and "has been curiously insistent on praising China."
The president then concludes the four-page letter by giving Ghebreyesus an ultimatum on whether or not the organization will receive funding in the future.
TRUMP WHO THREAT
He wrote: "It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world.
"The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China.
";My administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organization.
"But action is needed quickly. We do not have time to waste."
Trump added: "If the WHO does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the WHO permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization."
Earlier on Monday, , which he said has done a “sad job” during the pandemic.
Trump said he’d pass on a meeting with the organization, who he’s repeatedly said is too “China-centric” and has a "disastrous" response to the pandemic.
He claimed the WHO gave the “a lot of terrible advice,” and is “always on the side of China” — even calling the organization a “puppet of China.”
Last week, a CIA report, seen by Newsweek, emerged showing Beijing told the World Health Organisation they would stop working with them if the agency declared a global health emergency.
WUHAN 'COVER UP'
And it has been reported that the to probe if China and the WHO initially hid information about the outbreak.
The CIA, the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency were given a specific "tasking" to learn more information about the early days of the virus in China, officials told NBC.
of coronavirus cases and deaths.
Covid-19 first jumped from animals to humans in the city of Wuhan late last year - and the contagious respiratory disease has since spread around the globe killing hundreds of thousands.
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into China's handling of the crisis insisting the bug "could have been stopped at the source."
China said the United States was trying to shift the blame for Washington's own mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis in response to Trump's letter.
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters today that the US was trying to smear Beijing and was attempting to avoid its own responsibility.