Trump White House web page revives COVID-19 lab-leak theory, blames Fauci and Biden for cover-up

The Trump administration has intensified its focus on the lab-leak theory of COVID-19’s origins, accusing public health officials and intelligence agencies of suppressing this theory for political reasons. The White House unveiled a revamped web page on Friday (April 18), which now emphasises the idea that the coronavirus emerged from a lab in Wuhan, China. This marks a significant shift in how the administration is shaping its messaging on the pandemic’s origins.

Lab-leak theory prominent on website

The new website, which had previously served as a resource for COVID-19 vaccination efforts, now opens with a banner reading, “LAB LEAK, The True Origins of COVID-19.” A prominent image of President Trump walking further emphasises the administration’s stance.

The site also includes claims that public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and the Biden administration, worked to suppress evidence of a lab-leak origin. The site alleges that the Biden administration “engaged in a multi-year campaign of delay, confusion and non-responsiveness” to conceal the truth.

“This website shows the true origins of COVID-19 and how Democrats and the media discredited alternative health treatments and the lab-leak theory,” the White House said in a statement. The revamped website further criticises the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing it of failing to investigate the origins of the virus properly due to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party.

Fauci and Biden’s alleged cover-up

The new page on COVID.gov specifically targets Dr. Anthony Fauci, claiming he promoted the natural origin theory of the virus despite a lack of supporting evidence. It also criticises former President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon Fauci for any offenses he may have committed in relation to the pandemic response.

“The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2 publication, which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab-leak theory, was promoted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally,” the site states.

The website claims that US taxpayer money funded high-risk gain-of-function research in Wuhan, leading to the virus’s accidental release. It also asserts that federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the EcoHealth Alliance, obstructed investigations into the virus’s origins.

Criticism of COVID-era public health measures

In addition to its focus on the virus’s origins, the website takes aim at COVID-era public health measures, such as social distancing, mask mandates, and lockdowns. The site claims that the “six feet apart” social distancing rule was “arbitrary and not based on science” and criticises the flip-flopping on mask mandates.

“There was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID-19,” the website states. It goes on to accuse public health officials of misleading the American public through “conflicting messaging, knee-jerk reactions, and a lack of transparency.”

The site also lambasts federal agencies for discouraging the use of alternative treatments and disfavoring narratives such as the lab-leak theory in what it describes as an effort to “coerce and control the American people’s health decisions.”

Allegations of international influence and censorship

The new COVID.gov page further accuses the WHO of “caving to pressure” from China and prioritising China’s political interests over global health. The site claims that the WHO’s response to the pandemic was an “abject failure” and that the organisation failed to act quickly enough to prevent the global spread of the virus.

Additionally, the website cites recent intelligence assessments that suggest a lab-origin of the virus is more likely than a natural one. However, it notes that US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, have stated that they have “low confidence” in this conclusion due to insufficient evidence.

CIA assessment

Earlier this year, the CIA released an assessment suggesting that COVID-19 most likely originated from a Chinese laboratory. However, the agency acknowledged that it had low confidence in this conclusion and that there was insufficient evidence to definitively prove it. Beijing quickly dismissed the CIA’s claim, calling it “extremely unlikely.”

The Trump administration’s renewed focus on the lab-leak theory comes as it continues to reshape the national conversation around public health policy. The administration, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is using this platform to reshape public health agencies and challenge the narratives established by previous administrations.

A shift in messaging

Since his first term, President Trump has been a vocal proponent of the lab-leak theory, initially downplaying preventive measures such as masking and social distancing. The new website’s aggressive messaging and criticisms of public health officials signal a further escalation in the ongoing debate over the origins of COVID-19 and the handling of the pandemic.

As the administration continues to push its narrative, the debate over whether the virus emerged naturally or from a lab remains a contentious issue, with both sides continuing to present competing theories and evidence.