Trump Opens Door to Rejoining WHO After Announcing US Exit

President Donald Trump on Saturday revealed that he may reconsider rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO), just days after ordering a US exit from the global health agency due to concerns over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

At a rally in Las Vegas, Trump said, "Maybe we would consider doing it again, I don't know. Maybe we would. They would have to clean it up." The US is scheduled to formally leave the WHO on January 22, 2026, according to prior notification.

Trump's decision to exit the WHO was sparked by his dissatisfaction with the organization's financial distribution, particularly the fact that the US, a member of the world's largest economy, contributes around 18 per cent of its overall funding. In contrast, China, with a significantly larger population, contributed only a fraction of the total budget.

The WHO's two-year budget for 2024-2025 stood at $6.8 billion. Trump expressed his discontent, stating that he was unhappy to see the US providing more financial support than China.

In a surprising twist, during his speech in Las Vegas, Trump announced plans to ask Saudi Arabia for investment of up to $1 trillion over the next four years, exceeding its previously pledged commitment of $600 billion.

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had recently informed Trump that his kingdom wanted to strengthen economic ties with the US through this massive investment proposal.