Trump again hits the World Health Organization for having 'minimized the threat' from COVID-19
The World Health Organization has declined to criticize President Trump, whose country has nearly three times the number of confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases as the next country on the list (Spain), but Trump seems eager to pick a fight with the WHO. After going after the United Nations health agency at Tuesday's White House coronavirus briefing, Trump returned to the theme at Wednesday's briefing, complaining at length about how much the U.S. contributes to the WHO versus China's contribution.
"The World WHO, World Health, got it wrong, I mean they got it very wrong, in many ways they were wrong," Trump said. "They also minimized the threat very strongly and, not good."
The WHO did say Jan. 14 that "preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus," but it reversed course by Jan. 30, saying "there has been human-to-human transmission in three countries outside China" and calling it a global health emergency.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There is plenty to fault in the WHO's response to what it finally declared a pandemic on March 11, but Trump may not be the best person to offer such criticism.
Trump's "shifting assessments of the seriousness of the virus over recent months have been well documented," Peter Baker writes in The New York Times. "Initially, he likened it to an ordinary flu that would 'miraculously' go away, then he later called it 'the worst thing that the country has probably ever seen' and declared 'war' against the virus," declaring a national emergency on March 13. Trump's presidential daily briefing had detailed warnings of the threat from the virus spreading through China by early January, ABC News reports. His trade adviser was warning about the dire threat to the U.S. economy and U.S. lives in late January.
The Daily Show reminds us how Trump and his allies discussed the coronavirus, and when:
"What remains unclear," Baker writes at the Times, "is whether Mr. Trump does not remember saying things that he later denies saying or is trying to impose his own reality."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
DOJ settles with Nassar victims for $138M
Speed Read The settlement includes 139 sexual abuse victims of the former USA Gymnastics doctor
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
14 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From photos of the infant universe to an energy advancement that could save the planet
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Who will win the 2024 presidential election?
In Depth Election year is here. Who are pollsters and experts predicting to win the White House?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US life expectancy rose in 2022 but not to pre-pandemic levels
Speed Read Life expectancy is slowly crawling back up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Vallance diaries: Boris Johnson 'bamboozled' by Covid science
Speed Read Then PM struggled to get his head around key terms and stats, chief scientific advisor claims
By The Week UK Published
-
An increasing number of dog owners are 'vaccine hesitant' about rabies
Speed Read A new survey points to canine vaccine hesitancy
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published