Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Cited False And Misleading Claims In Announcing U.S. Would Cut Ties With WHO
The Associated Press Fact Check: Trump’s Move To Quit WHO Cites Flawed Facts
President Donald Trump spread a number of false and misleading claims about the World Health Organization in announcing his decision to cut U.S. ties with the agency over the coronavirus epidemic. Trump last week said he would halt funding and a decades-long U.S. relationship with WHO, accusing it of being effectively controlled by China and misleading the world about the virus. The president referenced his May 18 letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that laid out specific allegations and demanded changes. (Yen, 6/2)
NPR: WHO's Measured Response To Trump's Pledge To Sever Ties And Funds
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said he learned of President Trump's intentions of "terminating" the decades-long U.S. relationship with WHO through Trump's press briefing on Friday. "The U.S. government's and its people's contribution and generosity toward global health over many decades has been immense, and it has made a great difference in public health all around the world. It is WHO's wish for this collaboration to continue," Tedros said at a press conference Monday, offering no further comments when pressed. (Huang, 6/1)
The Associated Press: China Delayed Releasing Coronavirus Info, Frustrating WHO
Throughout January, the World Health Organization publicly praised China for what it called a speedy response to the new coronavirus. It repeatedly thanked the Chinese government for sharing the genetic map of the virus “immediately,” and said its work and commitment to transparency were “very impressive, and beyond words.” But behind the scenes, it was a much different story, one of significant delays by China and considerable frustration among WHO officials over not getting the information they needed to fight the spread of the deadly virus, The Associated Press has found. (6/2)
And in other news on Trump and the administration —
CNN: Dr. Anthony Fauci Hasn't Spoken With Trump In Two Weeks
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the most prominent members of the White House coronavirus task force, said on Monday that he has not spoken to or met with President Donald Trump in two weeks. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, added that that his contact with the President has become much less frequent. Their last interaction was May 18, when Trump invited Fauci to provide medical context during a teleconference with the nation's governors. The Task Force last met on May 28 and last held a White House press briefing on May 22. (Sciutto and LeBlanc, 6/1)
