Rep. Michael McCaul on formal US withdrawal from WHO: President Trump is sending a message
The Trump administration submits a notice of withdrawal from the World Health Organization, effective July 6, 2021; reaction from Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told "The Story" Tuesday that President Trump has entered into a "negotiation" by announcing his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), effective one year from this week.
McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told host Trace Gallagher that the president is sending the United Nations agency and Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus a warning to "get their act together."
"I think we need a leader of the WHO who cares more about global health than appeasing the Chinese Communist Party, which is what director-general Tedros is," McCaul explained. "He was their candidate to lead the World Health Organization."
McCaul said that if Ghebreyesus was working as a CEO in the private sector, he would have already been fired for malfeasance stemming from his apparent covering for China's several shortcomings in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
"So we believe that until Tedros goes and we can reform the WHO, we can put them on notice," he said.
McCaul added that it is crucial for the U.S. to remain engaged with the WHO during the year-long probationary period.
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"What the president is really doing here, if you look carefully, is he is entering into another negotiation. He's a very good dealmaker and he is putting absolute pressure and leverage on the WHO to reform itself and it cannot be reformed with Tedros and the Chinese Communist Party controlling it," the Texan continued.
"When that changes, and they have one year to get their act together, I think we have a very different scenario where we can really strengthen the WHO ... so it works for the global health -- not the CCP's health or propaganda."