In his executive order on day one of his new term as president, Donald Trump said he notified the UN about the proposed withdrawal from the World Health Organization in 2020 "due to the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states."

He also focused on the amount of money the U.S. pays for the organization each year. 

The WHO followed up saying they "regret" the decision and urged Trump to reconsider the decision.