But the intelligence community is still investigating whether the virus may have accidentally leaked from a Chinese laboratory.
The agency that oversees the entire U.S. intelligence community has released an unusual public statement on Thursday outlining its ongoing investigation of the origins of the novel coronavirus outbreak, amid reports suggesting the White House has been pressuring analysts to conclude that the outbreak spread from a lab in Wuhan, China.
“The entire Intelligence Community has been consistently providing critical support to U.S. policymakers and those responding to the COVID-19 virus, which originated in China,” reads the statement released from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified.”
ODNI does not typically comment on intelligence-gathering matters, let alone publicly confirm a particular finding. The last press release that came close to commenting on intelligence was in early March, when ODNI signed onto a joint statement warning voters that “foreign actors continue to try to influence public sentiment and shape voter perceptions.”
The agency went on to confirm in its statement on Thursday that it is still investigating the origins of the outbreak, including the theory, pushed by some in the White House, that it was the result of a lab accident in Wuhan.
“As we do in all crises, the Community’s experts respond by surging resources and producing critical intelligence on issues vital to U.S. national security,” the statement reads. “The IC will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.”
Current and former national security officials said they were surprised by the release, and suggested it could be a sign that the intelligence community feels it is being pulled into a political battle. The administration has been pressuring analysts, particularly at the CIA, to search for evidence that the virus came from a lab and that the World Health Organization helped China cover it up, according to a person briefed on the discussions.
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The ODNI released an unusual public statement today, announcing that coronavirus was not manmade or genetically modifiedhttps://t.co/zDtX0HNII9
— POLITICO (@politico) April 30, 2020
Politicizing the intelligence? No way. I mean, I was reliably informed that I owe Tom Cotton an apology.
At this point, none of this matters to Fox Nation, who have been inoculated (SWIDT) against any other explanations as a way of exculpating Trump.https://t.co/tfbiRpDZfZ
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
US IC statement on claims that COVID-19 might have been bio-engineered or man-made: it is not (which also matches widespread non-IC scientific consensus) pic.twitter.com/kFjlmROWN1
— Pwn All The Things (@pwnallthethings) April 30, 2020
On the same day that the intelligence community says it cannot verify what the White House is demanding that it verify https://t.co/H7mNpmcSMM
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Maybe, if he works at it a little, he can crash the economy again and for longer. https://t.co/6o6IjeSh7L
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Quite certain that the average American has no idea what sovereign immunity is,why it's important,and the deleterious effects stripping it de jure will have. In other words,it's a perfect issue for Trump to stir up xenophobia and divisiveness to distract from his abject failure
— Mr.Quindazzi (@MrQuindazzi) April 30, 2020
Oh my God, Trump is completely unaware that his own ODNI said that the virus was natural. John Roberts asked him about it and Trump asked: “Who said that.“ Roberts told him, and Trump said “who is that?“ Holy crap. Even Roberts was flummoxed.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Trump tries to dig out of the fact that he had no idea what his own national intelligence director just said by pivoting to blaming the WHO
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Roberts, to his credit, returns to trying to get Trump to talk about whether he thinks the virus is natural or not, because obviously this contradicts his own intelligence community director. Good for @johnrobertsFox
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Trump is trying to answer the question about the origins of the virus and he sounds like an AM talk radio host at 3 o’clock in the morning.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Roberts presses on asking him why he thinks the virus came from the Wuhan lab. Trump literally says: “I am not allowed to tell you that.“
Well, glad to see he’s finally concerned about classified information.— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Trump says he doesn’t need to mess with China’s sovereign debt, because he can achieve the same thing by putting on tariffs. He still doesn’t understand, or doesn’t want his public to understand, that China does not pay the tariffs.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Trump now reversing course, saying he thinks China has been trying to be transparent and helpful.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Translation: He might raise taxes on American consumers by $1 trillion. https://t.co/7qPF0eIPxM
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) May 1, 2020
Both Cotton – and Trump even today – have suggested that lab creation and *intentional* release are among many possibilities, throwing in the crazy stuff with the sensible stuff and knowing that the Base Faithful will hear the part they want them to hear. /2
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 1, 2020
If the virus was being studied and got out because of sloppy handling, China's got a lot to answer for. But no matter how the virus got out, none of that excuses Trump's happy-talk and refusal to take any of the *real warnings* that he was given months ago. /4x
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 1, 2020
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