Trump Admin to WHO: We’re Out – U.S. Rejects Global Pandemic Rules

The Trump administration has officially rejected sweeping amendments to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR), arguing that the new rules hand over too much power to an unelected international body.

In a joint announcement, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the U.S. would not be bound by the 2024 IHR amendments, which were adopted by WHO member states last year to bolster global pandemic preparedness and response.

“Nations who accept the new regulations are signing over their power in health emergencies to an unelected international organization that could order lockdowns, travel restrictions, or any other measures that it sees fit,” Kennedy said in a video message. “In fact, it doesn’t even need to declare an emergency.”

The amendments introduce new terminology like “pandemic emergency,” and urge countries to adopt digital health certificates and adhere to broader global health coordination strategies. According to the WHO, the changes are meant to improve early detection, surveillance, and international response to public health threats.

But Kennedy and Rubio argue the provisions compromise American sovereignty and personal freedoms.

“Our agencies have been and will continue to be clear: we will put Americans first in all our actions, and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans’ speech, privacy, or personal liberties,” they said in a joint statement. “These amendments risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy.”

Prominent conservatives applauded the move. “The United States will not allow the WHO to use public health emergencies to devastate our nation,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) echoed the sentiment, adding, “We must never cede our sovereignty to any international entity or organization.”

Not all agreed. Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, defended the amendments on social media, saying the IHR “facilitates rapid detection and response, promotes accurate info and protects civil liberties,” and does not compromise U.S. sovereignty.

Under WHO rules, the U.S. had until this month to formally reject the amendments or be automatically bound by them—even though the country officially withdrew from the WHO earlier this year under President Donald Trump’s directive.

Trump’s executive order stated that any pandemic-related treaty or regulation from the WHO “will have no binding force on the United States.”

Meanwhile, WHO member states have also adopted a separate pandemic agreement focused on future preparedness, including improved vaccine distribution and international coordination. The U.S. did not participate in the final negotiations.