In 2025, the United States announced plans to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). The U.S. completed the withdrawal on Jan. 22, 2026, and the next day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on his website:

“The Trump administration’s withdrawal from WHO is a reckless decision that will hurt all Californians and Americans. California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring. We will continue to foster partnerships across the globe and remain at the forefront of public health preparedness, including through our membership as the only state in WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network.“

“Newsom has no authority to bind California—or Californians—to the WHO,” notes Rita Barnett-Rose of the California Globe. “California is not a sovereign nation, and its governor cannot conduct foreign policy.” The governor’s action invites a look at the organization he holds in such high esteem.

In Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, Gov. Newsom met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first non-physician to head the organization. While serving as Ethiopia’s health minister from 2005 to 2012, Tedros was accused of covering up three separate cholera........

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