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Republicans are seizing on a new Energy Department conclusion pointing to a “lab leak” as causing the COVID-19 outbreak to call for swift action against the Chinese government, which has refused to cooperate with global probes into the pandemic’s origin.
The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported Sunday that the Energy Department had determined with “low confidence” that the virus was leaked from a lab, though it is unclear what new intelligence that was based on.
The lack of confidence or details on the assessment didn’t stop Republicans from claiming validation and calling for urgent action against China.
“Re. China’s lab leak, being proven right doesn’t matter,” tweeted Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) “What matters is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn’t happen again.”
Cotton has long touted the theory that COVID-19 was linked to a lab studying coronaviruses in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, and called for investigations into that possibility.
Earlier this month, House Republicans announced that the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic would prove the origins of COVID-19 and requested information from administration officials and others.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has publicly pushed the “lab leak” theory, as well as conspiracies surrounding COVID-19 vaccines, tweeted “Conspiracy theorists – 100 Media – 0” on Sunday.
