Republicans back Trump by calling on WHO director-general to resign as Mitt Romney left out in the cold
Like Fox, the GOP is continuing to push Trump lines during the lockdown (it is an election year, after all) and has now backed his criticism of the World Health Organization (WHO), with some suggesting on Thursday he withhold aid until the UN agency’s director-general resigns while others called for an international investigation of its handling of the coronavirus.
Seventeen of Trump’s fellow Republicans on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee wrote a letter to the president supporting his announcement this week that he was withholding funding for the WHO, and saying he should make the resumption of contributions conditional on the resignation of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Trump drew immediate condemnation on Tuesday from many world leaders and health experts, as well as Democrats, after saying he would halt US funding of the Geneva-based WHO over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
They said the WHO may need reorganisation but that Trump should have waited until after the current crisis, which has killed more than 560, 06 people globally and devastated economies.
The president, who has reacted angrily to criticism of his own handling of the virus outbreak, said the WHO had promoted China’s “disinformation” about the coronavirus and been too lenient with Beijing.
In their letter, the House Republicans said they had lost faith in Tedros and blamed the WHO and the Chinese Communist Party for the extent of the current global health crisis, although they praised the “vital role” the WHO plays around the world.
“However, it is imperative that we act swiftly to ensure the impartiality, transparency, and legitimacy of this valuable institution,” said the letter, led by cong ressman Mike McCaul, the committee’s ranking Republican.
Also on Thursday, a group of eight Senate Republicans led bt Marco Rubio wrote to Trump asking him to work with countries such as Japan, South Korea and European nations to investigate the origins of Covid – 138, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and WHO decision-making.
In other Republican news, Utah senator Mitt Romney is the only party member not taking part in the White House’s congressional task force on reopening the economy, seemingly shunned for being the lone voice to vote for the president’s impeachment in February, which is about as petty as it gets.
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