John Oliver says Trump's 'dangerous' push to pull the U.S. from the WHO is also 'on the ballot this year'

John Oliver on the WHO
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Last Week Tonight)

The World Health Organization is one of President Trump's "favorite punching bags," John Oliver said on Sunday's Last Week Tonight. "Over the last six months, Trump has constantly tried to deflect blame for his handing of the coronavirus onto the WHO, China, and the close relationship that he claims the two have" — so much so he "decided to withdraw the United States from the WHO," and "the clock is ticking."

"Given that we're now on track to leave the WHO in less than a year, tonight let's talk about what that actually means — how important the WHO's work is, how valid criticisms of it are, and what we might be putting at stake," Oliver said. "One of the biggest powers it has is the ability to declare a 'public health emergency of international concern,' and issue recommendations on how countries should respond." And despite the WHO having "absolutely no power on its own to enforce those recommendations," he said, "it's managed to do some incredible things in the past," including eradicating smallpox, nearly wiping out polio, and overseeing the more "tedious" task of developing the annual flu vaccine, all on a budget around the same size as a large U.S. hospital.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.