Biden shut down effort to prove COVID originated from lab
May 27, 2021 0:17:32 GMT -5
Post by maybetoday on May 27, 2021 0:17:32 GMT -5
Biden shut down Pompeo-led effort to prove theory COVID originated from Wuhan lab over concerns about quality of evidence: Trump says it was obvious that's where virus came from
Joe Biden's team ended a State Department investigation into Wuhan lab
The investigation was begun by Mike Pompeo's allies in fall and ran until spring
Senior State Department officials were unaware of the existence of the inquiry
In January they asked an independent panel of scientists to evaluate findings
A three-hour meeting was held with the panel concluding the probe was flawed
Critics of the effort said it was overtly political and designed to burnish Trump
Trump had long claimed that the Wuhan theory for COVID-19 was likely
Many scientists initially disregarded the theory but are now accepting it
Supporters of the investigation insisted it was genuine and well executed
Biden's team in February or March decided to end their research
The Wuhan theory is gaining traction: Trump Tuesday said he felt vindicated
By HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 22:02 EDT, 25 May 2021 | UPDATED: 03:16 EDT, 26 May 2021
Joe Biden's team shut down a State Department investigation into the Wuhan laboratory as a source of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a new report on Tuesday night.
Last fall, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lead an investigation to answer whether China's biological weapons program may have played a role in the pandemic, sources told CNN on Tuesday.
But the probe was met with internal opposition by those concerned it was part of political effort by the Trump administration to blame China for the virus.
And when Biden's team was briefed on the investigation's findings in February and March, they decided to shut it down amid concerns about the legitimacy of the evidence, sources say.
'The way they did their work was suspicious as hell,' said one former State Department official of the probe.
The revelations will lead to uncomfortable allegations for Biden that his team politicized the public health effort, and harmed the nation by shutting down a useful inquiry begun by his predecessor.
The theory of the virus coming from a Wuhan lab had been promoted heavily by Donald Trump, who blamed China for unleashing COVID-19 on the world. Critics said that Trump was blaming China to distract from his own mishandling of the pandemic.
Yet now the idea that the virus came from a Chinese lab is gaining mainstream support, with leading scientists who previously expressed skepticism - such as Anthony Fauci - now saying it is plausible.
Trump on Tuesday night told Newsmax he's always believed the virus stemmed from a Wuhan research facility - and felt vindicated that scientific opinion and the mainstream media was finally coming round to his point of view.
Full story with video at link
Joe Biden's team ended a State Department investigation into Wuhan lab
The investigation was begun by Mike Pompeo's allies in fall and ran until spring
Senior State Department officials were unaware of the existence of the inquiry
In January they asked an independent panel of scientists to evaluate findings
A three-hour meeting was held with the panel concluding the probe was flawed
Critics of the effort said it was overtly political and designed to burnish Trump
Trump had long claimed that the Wuhan theory for COVID-19 was likely
Many scientists initially disregarded the theory but are now accepting it
Supporters of the investigation insisted it was genuine and well executed
Biden's team in February or March decided to end their research
The Wuhan theory is gaining traction: Trump Tuesday said he felt vindicated
By HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 22:02 EDT, 25 May 2021 | UPDATED: 03:16 EDT, 26 May 2021
Joe Biden's team shut down a State Department investigation into the Wuhan laboratory as a source of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a new report on Tuesday night.
Last fall, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lead an investigation to answer whether China's biological weapons program may have played a role in the pandemic, sources told CNN on Tuesday.
But the probe was met with internal opposition by those concerned it was part of political effort by the Trump administration to blame China for the virus.
And when Biden's team was briefed on the investigation's findings in February and March, they decided to shut it down amid concerns about the legitimacy of the evidence, sources say.
'The way they did their work was suspicious as hell,' said one former State Department official of the probe.
The revelations will lead to uncomfortable allegations for Biden that his team politicized the public health effort, and harmed the nation by shutting down a useful inquiry begun by his predecessor.
The theory of the virus coming from a Wuhan lab had been promoted heavily by Donald Trump, who blamed China for unleashing COVID-19 on the world. Critics said that Trump was blaming China to distract from his own mishandling of the pandemic.
Yet now the idea that the virus came from a Chinese lab is gaining mainstream support, with leading scientists who previously expressed skepticism - such as Anthony Fauci - now saying it is plausible.
Trump on Tuesday night told Newsmax he's always believed the virus stemmed from a Wuhan research facility - and felt vindicated that scientific opinion and the mainstream media was finally coming round to his point of view.
Full story with video at link