Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, recently advocated for the cessation of U.S. funding for gain-of-function research at biological laboratories worldwide. In an interview with podcast host Megyn Kelly, Gabbard discussed concerns over the potential link between U.S.-funded research and the origins of COVID-19, emphasizing that many American officials now recognize a lab leak from gain-of-function research as a likely trigger for the pandemic.
Gabbard highlighted the risks associated with ongoing gain-of-function research, which involves genetic alterations to pathogens to study their responses and characteristics. She cited her previous warnings about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine and stressed the need to end such research to prevent future pandemics. While she did not name specific American-funded labs engaged in this research, she noted that her intelligence team is collaborating with National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya and Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to investigate links between U.S. funding and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
During the discussion, Gabbard expressed skepticism regarding the past statements of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has denied funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab. Recent findings from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic have suggested otherwise, leading to ongoing investigations into EcoHealth Alliance, the organization involved in the research.
Gabbard indicated that her team is also exploring other instances of U.S. funding for gain-of-function research that may have resulted in significant health crises. She mentioned that further details from her investigations would be available soon and directed listeners to COVID.gov for information on the origins of the virus.