Stephen Colbert blasts Trump's decision to defund WHO during coronavirus pandemic

“Folks, if you watch the show you know I criticise Donald Trump a lot,” said host Stephen Colbert during Wednesday’s episode of the Late Show. “But with this coronavirus gripping our nation it’s made me realise I don’t do it enough.”

President Donald Trump has been roundly condemned for his glacially slow response to the coronavirus crisis, which included him downplaying the threat a whole month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global emergency. It’s abundantly clear now that the situation was and is much, much worse than Trump insisted. 

Nevertheless, Trump has never one to accept fault. Instead, he has attempted to shift blame by accusing WHO of mismanaging the crisis — even going so far as to announce on Tuesday that the U.S. government is pulling funding from the organisation.

This would be a bizarre and questionable move at the best of times, but it’s downright nonsensical with the coronavirus pandemic currently engulfing the globe.

“It’s like when your house is engulfed in flames. First thing you do: burn down the fire department,” quipped Colbert.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the U.S. the hardest, with over 578,000 confirmed cases and 23,000 deaths. The country accounts for over a quarter of all COVID-19 patients worldwide.