The administration directly targets Dr. Anthony Fauci, former chief medical advisor under President Biden, accusing him of promoting “the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally.”
CIA Report and Congressional Investigations
The webpage’s publication coincides with the release of a declassified CIA report that assessed the lab-origin hypothesis as “most likely,” though it assigned the assessment a “low confidence” rating. Newly appointed CIA Director John Ratcliffe emphasized transparency in choosing to declassify the report.
“The decision to publish the report was a matter of transparency,” Ratcliffe said.
The site also references an ongoing investigation led by the House Oversight Committee, which has explored the role of U.S. funding and oversight of research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
Key Claims Presented on the Official Site
The newly launched page—previously home to pandemic guidance like vaccine and testing information—now promotes the lab leak theory through a structured exposé. Among the key claims:
- Biological anomalies: The virus displays genetic characteristics not found in nature.
- Single spillover: All human COVID-19 cases trace back to one introduction, unlike prior pandemics.
- Wuhan Institute’s role: The WIV conducted gain-of-function research with insufficient safety protocols.
- Early infections: WIV researchers reportedly displayed COVID-like symptoms in late 2019.
- Lack of evidence for natural origin: No conclusive natural origin has been identified.
You can view the full White House page here: Lab Leak: The True Origins of COVID-19
Criticism of Federal Institutions
The Trump administration’s statement accuses several public institutions and figures of suppressing the lab-leak theory:
- Dr. Anthony Fauci
- Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- EcoHealth Alliance
- The World Health Organization (WHO)
The site alleges that U.S. taxpayer money funded dangerous research in Wuhan and that federal agencies deliberately delayed investigations.
