WeWillNotComply: Trump supporters warn monkeypox pandemic conspiracy as election looms

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new strain of mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a global health emergency.

This announcement by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has sparked a wave of conspiracy theories among supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump supporters claim that the WHO’s decision is part of a broader conspiracy aimed at introducing another pandemic to disrupt the 2024 U.S. presidential election. They argue that the timing of the declaration, just 82 days before the election, is intended to undermine Trump’s campaign.

On social media, these supporters are sharing a video of Trump from last year, where he warned, “The left-wing lunatics are trying very hard to bring back Covid lockdowns and mandates with all of their sudden fear-mongering about the new variants that are coming.”

The announcement has led to a surge in hashtags like #DoNotComply and #WeWillNotComply, as Trump supporters reject any potential health mandates arising from this declaration, labelling it a “scam.”

The resurgence of mpox, initially identified in 1958, became a global issue in 2022, with Congo experiencing a particularly severe outbreak. A more transmissible variant has resulted in over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year alone.

Historically, mpox primarily affected individuals in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals. However, 2022 marked a turning point when the virus was confirmed to spread through sexual contact, leading to outbreaks in over 70 countries that had previously been unaffected, highlighting its global threat.