Biden aides funded Wuhan lab to ‘manipulate’ Covid-19 assessments? Tulsi Gabbard’s ‘explosive’ claims
The outgoing director of national intelligence claims that former US President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser Anthony Fauci funded a laboratory in Wuhan, China, influencing intelligence assessments of the origins of Covid-19 while misleading Congress under oath. Tulsi Gabbard.The accusation surfaced when Gabbard accused Fauci of funding gain-of-function research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.Announcing the release of the documents, Gabbard said they contain previously unseen communications that, according to her office, demonstrate Fauci’s role in directing U.S. taxpayer funds toward research in Wuhan and his interactions with intelligence officials during the pandemic.“Today, on my last day as Director of National Intelligence, I released never-before-seen communications and documents that reveal how Dr. Fauci provided millions of American taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research in the Wuhan lab, worked with political elements within the intelligence community to suppress the truth about his actions, concealed the origins of the virus lab leak, and lied to Congress under oath in 2024. It’s time you know the truth,” Gabbard said.According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), while leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Fauci oversaw funding for Wuhan Institute of Virology’s gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence asserted that this research is “now widely believed to be at the root of the pandemic caused by an inadvertent leak from the laboratory,” and alleged that Fauci worked with “politicized career leadership” in the intelligence community to suppress information about the origins of the virus and his role in funding the effort.“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused tremendous hardship and suffering to millions of our fellow Americans and countless people around the world. After years of lies, censorship and cover-ups, the American people deserve transparency, truth and accountability,” Gabbard said.She further added, “The tactics used to hide the truth are straight out of the deep state’s playbook: politicized, self-serving leaders like Dr. Trump. Fauci covered up his misconduct and abuse of power, manipulated intelligence, lied to Congress, and harmed the duly elected President by limiting his knowledge of important facts needed to maintain national security. It’s time for the American people to know the real story. “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the documents were discovered during a year-long declassification review conducted during the president’s term. Donald Trumptransparency agenda. The office also cited testimony from intelligence community whistleblowers who claimed they faced retaliation for questioning official conclusions about the origins of Covid-19.Fauci has maintained close contact with intelligence officials during the outbreak, serving as a government-funded researcher, consultant and public spokesperson, the release said.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence claimed that Fauci and senior intelligence officials created a “self-serving circular reporting cycle” in which NIAID-funded scientists influenced intelligence assessments that were later cited publicly as evidence against the lab leak theory.The agency also claims that the newly released documents contain information that contradicts Fauci’s 2024 testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Fauci was asked under oath whether he had communicated with intelligence agencies about virus research before, during or after the pandemic and responded, “To my knowledge, there was none regarding the coronavirus.”The release also cited whistleblower accounts alleging that intelligence analysts who supported the lab leak theory faced marginalization, career setbacks and intimidation.In January 2025, former President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned Fauci in the final hours of his presidency.Explaining the decision, Biden said, “These are unique circumstances and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.”“The baseless and politically motivated investigation wreaks havoc on the lives, safety and financial security of the targeted individuals and their families,” he added.Biden also stressed that pardons do not constitute an admission of wrongdoing, saying: “The issuance of a pardon should not be misconstrued as an admission that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should it be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any crime.”Fauci, who served as the nation’s top infectious disease expert for nearly four decades, has long been criticized by the right wing of U.S. politics for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.In January 2025, Trump withdrew the security detail of government funding provided to Fauci through the National Institutes of Health.Trump defended the move, saying, “I think, you know, when you work for the government, at some point your security details disappear and, you know, you can’t have them forever.”Fauci has previously said conspiracy theories surrounding the origins of Covid-19 have fueled threats against him and his family.The latest revelations follow another declassification effort announced by Gabbard on June 12. In the release, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence claimed that it had uncovered evidence that the U.S. government has long-term funding for more than 120 biological laboratories in more than 30 countries, including facilities in Ukraine.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence claimed that some of these labs conducted research involving dangerous pathogens and, in some cases, gain-of-function experiments. It also claims information about the facility’s location and funding has been withheld from the public.“Despite the potentially catastrophic global impact of research on dangerous pathogens in biolabs, politicians, so-called health professionals like Dr. Fauci, and entities within the Biden administration’s national security team lied to the American people about the existence of U.S.-funded and supported biolabs and threatened those who tried to reveal the truth,” Gabbard said in a June 12 press release.According to Fox News, Gabbard told Trump she would resign from her position to support her husband, Abraham Williams, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.“At this time, I must retire from public service to stand by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard said.Her resignation will be effective June 30. Following her departure, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte will serve as acting director of national intelligence while continuing to perform his current duties overseeing the housing agency.
