WHO Chief Rebukes U.S. Withdrawal as 'Untrue'
Tedros said U.S. claims were 'untrue' and warned the Jan. 22, 2026 withdrawal 'makes both the U.S. and the world less safe.'
Overview
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a Jan. 23, 2026 post on X that the reasons cited by the United States for its Jan. 22, 2026 withdrawal from the World Health Organization are 'untrue' and warned the move 'makes both the U.S. and the world less safe.'
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a Jan. 22, 2026 joint statement that Washington had formally withdrawn from WHO and accused the agency of 'failures during the Covid-19 pandemic,' according to their statement.
WHO said in a Jan. 23, 2026 statement that it 'acted quickly, shared all information ... rapidly and transparently' during the pandemic and strenuously rejected Rubio and Kennedy's accusation that it concealed failures, according to WHO.
WHO said Washington has not paid its 2024 and 2025 dues and estimates arrears at about $280 million, while other reports cited $260 million and $278 million, according to WHO and Stat News.
Public health experts warned that the U.S. exit could hinder American access to global disease intelligence and vaccine strain selection, jeopardizing early warnings, according to Georgetown University expert Lawrence Gostin.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the withdrawal as reckless and harmful, using loaded descriptors like "ruinous," "scientifically reckless," and "monumental stupidity." They prioritize public-health experts and mortality estimates, emphasize unpaid dues and lost surveillance access, and present administration reform claims as vague, producing a narrative focused on health risks rather than institutional reform.