Medical Journal ‘The Lancet’ Blasts Trump For Errors In Letter Threatening WHO Funding Cuts

A top peer-reviewed medical journal admonished President Donald Trump after he incorrectly cited research they published on the coronavirus in a letter threatening to cut U.S. funding to the World Health Organization. 

The Lancet, a leading British medical journal, refuted Trump’s claim that the WHO “consistently ignored credible reports of the virus spreading in Wuhan in early December 2019 or even earlier, including reports from the Lancet medical journal.”

“This statement is factually incorrect,” the Lancet said, adding that it published “no report in December, 2019, referring to a virus or outbreak in Wuhan or anywhere else in China.”

The first studies by the journal were published on Jan. 24 and described the first 41 cases of coronavirus in Wuhan. 

Lancet further noted that the first study was led by scientists who were from “Chinese institutions” and who “worked with us to quickly make information about this new epidemic outbreak and the disease it caused fully and freely available to an international audience.”

The second study, according to the Lancet statement, “included scientists and physicians from Hong Kong and mainland China.”

The president has repeatedly attacked the WHO and has accused the organization of being too easy on China. 

Trump’s letter threatened to permanently cut off funding to the WHO  unless the organization agrees to “commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days.” Trump added the U.S. would “reconsider our membership in the organization.”

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