https://www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-true-origins-of-covid-19/
The White House has shifted the focus of COVID.gov to a new page titled “Lab Leak: True Origins of COVID-19,” which strongly advocates the theory that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a laboratory incident in Wuhan, China.
This updated page heavily references the final report from the Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, released in December 2024. To date, there remains no conclusive evidence or agreement regarding the true source of the pandemic.
Prior to this change, COVID.gov served as a resource for the public, offering information on COVID-19 testing, treatments, vaccines, and long COVID. The revised site now presents five main arguments that support the lab leak theory.
The White House presents the following five points:
– The virus possesses a biological characteristic “not found in nature.”
– Evidence indicates that all cases originated from a “single introduction into humans.”
– Wuhan is home to China’s leading SARS research facility.
– Researchers at the Wuhan laboratory reportedly exhibited COVID-like symptoms in the fall of 2019.
– If COVID-19 had a natural origin, “evidence would have already emerged.”
Fauci and the ongoing debate over COVID-19 origins
The page also asserts that government officials, including former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Dr. Anthony Fauci, were involved in editing and promoting a 2020 research paper that supported the natural origin theory of COVID-19. It claims that this paper was specifically crafted to undermine the lab leak hypothesis.
These allegations are not new; Dr. Fauci and the authors of the paper have consistently denied any manipulation of the research or any ulterior motives.
A debate lacking clear conclusions
The origins of COVID-19 have sparked one of the most contentious debates since the onset of the pandemic. Experts and agencies have primarily focused their discussions on two main theories: a natural transmission from animals to humans or an accidental release from a laboratory.
Nevertheless, in the absence of definitive evidence and with restricted access to essential raw data, the discussion has remained obscured by circumstantial information.
Intelligence assessments reveal differing viewpoints
In 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published a declassified report indicating that while the intelligence community slightly favored the theory of natural spillover, opinions were largely divided.
A subsequent report in 2023 reaffirmed this division. US agencies generally concurred that the virus was not engineered as a biological weapon and that Chinese authorities likely had no advance knowledge of the outbreak.
New COVID.gov page critiques US pandemic response
The recently launched COVID.gov page prominently features a photograph of Dr. Fauci and references the pardon he received from former President Joe Biden, which encompassed “any offenses.” It also alleges that federal agencies, including the NIH and HHS, violated transparency laws and did not fully cooperate with Congressional inquiries. However, these agencies did respond to FOIA requests and provided testimony when called upon. The page further questions the efficacy of pandemic strategies such as social distancing, masking, and lockdowns, and critiques the management of the Covid-19 response by New York officials.
Completely untrue and utterly ridiculous
In 2024, Dr. Fauci appeared before Congress to address these allegations. He categorically rejected the claims that he concealed information or improperly swayed research outcomes.
“The assertion that I coerced scientists into altering their conclusions by offering them millions in grant funding is completely untrue and utterly ridiculous. I had no role in shaping the content of the published paper,” Fauci stated during a hearing in June 2024. He further remarked, “The second allegation—that I attempted to hide the possibility of the virus’s lab origin—is also false. In reality, the truth is quite the opposite.”
Trump, Covid-19, and the tense relationship with China
This is not the first occasion the White House has publicly addressed the origins of Covid-19. In January, US President Donald Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum, indicating that the pandemic had adversely affected his rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“However, I have a great deal of respect for President Xi. I have always appreciated him. We previously enjoyed a very positive relationship, but it became quite strained due to Covid emerging from Wuhan. Clearly, that created tension. I am certain it has strained relationships for many, but it certainly impacted ours,” Trump remarked.
