Dispute between W.H.O. and President Trump over coronavirus is ‘tragic’: Gayle Smith

Former USAID Administrator, Gayle Smith, joins 'Influencers with Andy Serwer' to discuss President Trump's feud with the WHO amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video transcript

ANDY SERWER: Just to follow up on this global leadership point, would it entail, for instance, the President of the United States, President Trump, of course, working with the WHO? And there is this rift now between the administration--

GAYLE SMITH: Right, and that's really a tragic, tragic rift. And I think-- you know, leave aside how China has handled this from the beginning. And there are likely issues there to explore. And they should be explored. Because this isn't the first time we're going to face a global health threat. And that should be sorted out.

WHO is an institution that the world relies on. It's a little bit-- you know, it's at the heartbeat of a global response like this. It is not a perfect organization. I've yet to actually meet a perfect organization. But it's a UN agency, which means it's also as good as its members. And so it's not as though this is an independent organization that we can just hold a referendum on and decide whether we like it or not. We are members-- or we were. We are a part of it. And it is our job, obligation, and I would argue, opportunity to make it better and make it more effective.

I think the tragedy has been to withdraw from the WHO and have an argument at the height of a pandemic. It's a bit like saying you don't like the fire chief so you're going to burn down the firehouse while your house is on fire. I mean, OK, maybe get the fire chief. But your house is still going to burn to the ground.

So it's really-- I think that's really an unfortunate development. It's a really important organization. And we have, as I say, I believe, the obligation and the opportunity to make it an even better organization. But it needs our support rather than our out attacks.