SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — On his first day back in office, President Trump signed several executive orders, including decisions to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement. Both moves signal a return to the “America First” policy that defined his previous administration.
Experts say these decisions could have far-reaching impacts on global health and climate initiatives.
U.S. Withdrawal from the WHO
President Trump’s executive order to withdraw from the WHO is already raising concerns about the organization’s funding and effectiveness. Darren Kew, Dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego and a former advisor to the United Nations, explained:
“The United States provides a sizable percentage of the WHO budget, and certainly, it’s going to suffer once the United States pulls that money out.”
Critics of the move argue it could hinder the global fight against diseases and future pandemics. Trump has justified the withdrawal by claiming that the WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and that the U.S. contributes an unfair share of resources.
Kew, however, warns of global consequences:
“I think in the long-term…I fear that global health itself will suffer.”
U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement
President Trump also signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, a global framework for combating climate change.
Sarah Federman, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution at USD, said the move adds the U.S. to a short list of countries not party to the agreement:
“It puts us in line with Iran, Libya, Yemen, and Eritrea, who have not joined it either. So it's kind of strange bedfellows there or strange…countries to morally align with.”
Federman highlighted a silver lining from Trump’s previous withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017: thousands of corporations signed the ‘We Are Still In’ pledge, creating their own green guidelines.
"Corporations took their responsibility back on themselves, which I think is where we need to be focused anyway," she said.
Climate Change Impacts Hit Close to Home
As the effects of climate change intensify, from hurricanes to wildfires, experts stress the importance of collective action. Federman herself was under an evacuation warning on Tuesday due to a fire near USD’s campus.
She questioned the rationale behind Trump’s decision, which is based on removing regulations so domestic corporations can thrive.
“But now, as I’m sitting here with you...about to evacuate our home for a fire, that feels a little bit short-sighted," she said.
What’s Next?
Kew and Federman believe these isolationist policies largely stem from economic priorities, a major focus of Trump’s campaign. Experts agree that it’s possible the Trump administration could re-enter these agreements later, but on its own terms. That process could play out over the next year.
