Congress is finally cracking open the vault on one of the biggest mysteries of our time: where did COVID-19 really come from?
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a massive military funding bill, has tucked within its 3,100 pages a bold mandate for the Trump administration’s intelligence agencies to declassify information about the virus’s origins, zeroing in on the Wuhan Institute of Virology and China’s alleged efforts to muddy the waters.
Let’s rewind to 2019, when SARS-CoV-2 first reared its ugly head in Wuhan, China, home to a lab known for risky gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses. The Chinese government quickly dismissed any lab leak speculation, instead peddling wild tales of the virus sprouting from a U.S. military base. Meanwhile, early theories from scientists and media pointed to a Wuhan "wet market," a narrative some now claim was pushed to sideline other possibilities.
Six years into this global mess, the Trump administration is doubling down on getting answers. Evidence from non-U.S. intelligence, including a recent German report suggesting an accidental lab release, keeps pointing to Wuhan, yet much of America’s own intel remains under lock and key.
During the prior administration, efforts to unveil the truth hit a brick wall, even with the signing of the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023. Reports suggest key findings were buried, leaving Congress and the public in the dark. It’s no wonder frustration has been brewing on Capitol Hill.
Enter the NDAA’s Section 6803, which tasks Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard with leading a sweeping review alongside all 18 U.S. spy agencies. This isn’t just a peek behind the curtain—it’s a two-pronged probe into the virus’s roots, including Wuhan’s research and funding, as well as China’s alleged obstruction of investigations.
Gabbard, who set up the Director’s Initiatives Group earlier this year to tackle declassification of public interest issues like COVID-19, is now mandated to release declassified intel publicly and provide unredacted reports to congressional committees. Her office is even interviewing whistleblowers to piece together the puzzle.
“DNI Gabbard remains committed to declassifying COVID-19 information and looks forward to continued work with Congress to share the truth about pandemic-era failures with the American people,” a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told Just the News. Well, isn’t that a breath of fresh air in a world choked by secrecy?
Contrast that with China’s stance, which last week doubled down with, “We firmly oppose all forms of political manipulation,” clinging to a flawed 2021 WHO report influenced by Beijing. Sorry, but when you’re censoring journalists and blocking access to lab data, that’s not exactly the hallmark of transparency.
Back in 2021, U.S. intelligence assessments showed a split—some agencies leaned toward a lab origin with varying confidence, while others clung to a natural spillover theory. The FBI and Department of Energy, for instance, pointed to a lab incident, though much of this was kept hushed until recently.
Sen. Rand Paul has been relentless, subpoenaing multiple agencies for records on taxpayer-funded research and pressing Gabbard for intel tied to Wuhan and gain-of-function experiments. If there’s smoke, he’s determined to find the fire.
Then there’s the Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus, which concluded that a lab leak is the most likely scenario, accusing both China and certain U.S. figures of orchestrating cover-ups. It’s a damning charge, but one that aligns with growing skepticism about early narratives.
Even the WHO, criticized for its cozy ties with China, admitted to lacking hard data on Wuhan labs and facing stonewalling from Beijing on health records. Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the organization, citing its mishandling of the crisis, feels more vindicated by the day.
Let’s not forget the EcoHealth Alliance, which funneled U.S. funds to Wuhan for bat virus research, even pitching ideas for viruses eerily similar to SARS-CoV-2. When funding was denied by the Pentagon, evidence suggests the work may have continued anyway—raising eyebrows about oversight.
So here we stand, with the NDAA lighting a fire under the intelligence community to reveal what it knows. Will we finally get clarity on whether this pandemic was a tragic accident or something more sinister? One thing’s certain—Americans deserve the unvarnished truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for some in power.
