Trump says U.S. investigating whether virus came from Wuhan lab

By Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom

 

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his government is trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing "needs to come clean" on what they know.

 

The source of the virus remains a mystery. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday that U.S. intelligence indicates that the coronavirus likely occurred naturally, as opposed to being created in a laboratory in China, but there is no certainty either way.

 

Fox News reported on Wednesday that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bioweapon, but as part of China's effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States.

 

This report and others have suggested the Wuhan lab where virology experiments take place and lax safety standards there led to someone getting infected and appearing at a nearby "wet" market, where the virus began to spread.

 

At a White House news conference Trump was asked about the reports of the virus escaping from the Wuhan lab, and he said he was aware of them.

 

"We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened," he said.

 

Asked if he had raised the subject in his conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said: "I don't want to discuss what I talked to him about the laboratory, I just don't want to discuss, it's inappropriate right now."

 

Trump has sought to stress strong U.S. ties with China during the pandemic as the United States has relied on China for personal protection equipment desperately needed by American medical workers.

 

As far back as February, the Chinese state-backed Wuhan Institute of Virology dismissed rumors that the virus may have been artificially synthesized at one of its laboratories or perhaps escaped from such a facility.

 

Pompeo, in a Fox News Channel interview after Trump's news conference, said "we know this virus originated in Wuhan, China," and that the Institute of Virology is only a handful of miles away from the wet market.

 

"We really need the Chinese government to open up" and help explain "exactly how this virus spread," said Pompeo.

 

"The Chinese government needs to come clean," he said.

 

The broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, the virus' official name, originated in bats.

 

Trump and other officials have expressed deep skepticism of China's officially declared death toll from the virus of around 3,000 people, when the United States has a death toll of more than 20,000 and rising.

 

He returned to the subject on Wednesday, saying the United States has more cases "because we do more reporting."

 

“Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China, and that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of deaths; does anybody really believe that?” he said.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Stephen Coates)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-16

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I am perfect, total success, 10 out of 10.

All the others do things wrong, but not me!

What an idiot - and there are still people out there who support him. Amazing USA.

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am perfect, total success, 10 out of 10.

All the others do things wrong, but not me!

What an idiot - and there are still people out there who support him. Amazing USA.

This is typical Trump deflect deflect just because i did nothing for weeks doesn't mean its my fault , it was everyone else i didn't know about it and did nothing so therefore it wasn't me ok period .

Psychopaths' never ever accept blame for anything they do or in this case didn't do .

Edited April 16, 20206 yr by keith101

Like every other one of Trump's announcements of investigations, it is based on lies and will come to nothing. 

 

He needs quit trolling and focus on fixing the problems he himself has created. The nation needs some leadership, Trump is distracted by conspiracy theories he hopes will distract from his own failings. 

 

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am perfect, total success, 10 out of 10.

All the others do things wrong, but not me!

What an idiot - and there are still people out there who support him. Amazing USA.

I will be voting for Trump and the more it upsets people the more I enjoy doing so. Biden is about mid way through Dementia. I don't like Trump's style but the media narrative about what he has and hasn't accomplished does not drive my decision.

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

The source of the virus remains a mystery

No surprise .. Privately some elements of the British Gov' hold the same point of view that it did not originate as has been put out by the Chinese Gov .. similarly a suspicion is held that the death rate in Wuhan was higher than the figures released .. 

2 minutes ago, wasabi said:

 

I will be voting for Trump and the more it upsets people the more I enjoy doing so. Biden is about mid way through Dementia. I don't like Trump's style but the media narrative about what he has and hasn't accomplished does not drive my decision.

There you go, the troll ballot explained. 

15 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am perfect, total success, 10 out of 10.

All the others do things wrong, but not me!

What an idiot - and there are still people out there who support him. Amazing USA.

Even like the broken watch, though. I saw a Youtube investigative report, about an hour long, about China developing this virus and it looked VERY convincing. Bottom line, NO one will ever really know where this thing came from. Even if a White House report comes out stating that indeed China created it, nobody could possibly believe it because of the MOUNTAIN of lies this administration uses as its foundation.

I believe that it emanated in Manchester as the only way they could stop the Scousers from being crowned Premier league champions.

8 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Like every other one of Trump's announcements of investigations, it is based on lies and will come to nothing. 

 

He needs quit trolling and focus on fixing the problems he himself has created. The nation needs some leadership, Trump is distracted by conspiracy theories he hopes will distract from his own failings. 

Actually in this case, its very likely the virus came from the Wuhan lab

 

The main outbreak occurred only  a few miles from the lab

 

Its to much of a coincidence 

 

Think about the measures China and the world are taking, Shutting down a whole cities

 

This virus has been tweaked in a lab

4 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

I believe that it emanated in Manchester as the only way they could stop the Scousers from being crowned Premier league champions.

I like it and I agree that it's probable.

 

Pompeo can go and boil his head though, the truth is bubbling under.

2 minutes ago, hydraides said:

Actually in this case, its very likely the virus came from the Wuhan lab

 

The main outbreak occurred only  a few miles from the lab

 

Its to much of a coincidence 

 

Think about the measures China and the world are taking, Shutting down a whole cities

 

This virus has been tweaked in a lab

And yet the top pentagon official disagrees.

 

Trump again waisting money and resources on something that is irrelevant for now. Fix the problems first.

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

This report and others have suggested the Wuhan lab where virology experiments take place and lax safety standards there led to someone getting infected and appearing at a nearby "wet" market, where the virus began to spread.

I don't agree with Trump constant deflections of facts and egomaniac attitude but the above hypothesis has been put forward a couple times and sounds plausible.... wet markets in China are all around, why this one

Just now, Sujo said:

Trump again waisting money and resources on something that is irrelevant for now. Fix the problems first.

Oh, it's QUITE relevant in that it makes him look like he's going after a "bogey man" and allows him to hold daily election rallies disguised as "news pressers."

Truly the lunatics have taken over the White House and turned it into an asylum. 

How would that help US in the middle of the pandemic crisis except for his deflection and saving himself from criticism. 

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Truly the lunatics have taken over the White House and turned it into an asylum. 

And yet millions of white evangelicals still support him. I believe, to the core, it's cuz they ALL hate the same people.

9 minutes ago, hydraides said:

Actually in this case, its very likely the virus came from the Wuhan lab

 

The main outbreak occurred only  a few miles from the lab

 

Its to much of a coincidence 

 

Think about the measures China and the world are taking, Shutting down a whole cities

 

This virus has been tweaked in a lab

You seem so sure all of a sudden.

 

 

Very interesting ap news story on the timeline surrounding the CV: https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9

 

 

7 minutes ago, JerseytoBKK said:

Very interesting ap news story on the timeline surrounding the CV: https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9

 

 

I find it very easy to believe that the Chinese government ignored the initial outbreak and tried to silence reporting on it, but that is a long way from the conspiracy theory trump is encouraging here. 

Edited April 16, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

This man is dangerous to the humanity and world peace.

16 minutes ago, hydraides said:

Actually in this case, its very likely the virus came from the Wuhan lab

 

The main outbreak occurred only  a few miles from the lab

 

Its to much of a coincidence 

 

Think about the measures China and the world are taking, Shutting down a whole cities

 

This virus has been tweaked in a lab

Because co-incidence is proof. Right.

If you bothered to read the research on the topic, scientists are saying this virus very likely a product of evolution. It's natural. 

 

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-not-human-made-in-lab.html

 

 

25 minutes ago, hydraides said:

Actually in this case, its very likely the virus came from the Wuhan lab

 

The main outbreak occurred only  a few miles from the lab

 

Its to much of a coincidence 

 

Think about the measures China and the world are taking, Shutting down a whole cities

 

This virus has been tweaked in a lab

Trump said on his daily briefing that he heard story about the Wuhan leak. Is your source from another of those ‘story’. 

Yeah, look better at the virus in the microscope. There must be Made in China somewhere on it.

Trump is doing what he can do the best: witch hunting.

58 minutes ago, J Town said:

Even like the broken watch, though. I saw a Youtube investigative report, about an hour long, about China developing this virus and it looked VERY convincing. Bottom line, NO one will ever really know where this thing came from. Even if a White House report comes out stating that indeed China created it, nobody could possibly believe it because of the MOUNTAIN of lies this administration uses as its foundation.

The made in a lab theory was debunked ages ago and they have a good idea of where it came from

 

Some folks including politicians in both the U.S. and China have suggested that the COVID-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) that’s causing the pandemic may actually be a bioweapon that was manufactured in a lab. The only difference between their conspiracy theories is who’s being accused of doing the manufacturing.

 

Prof Stephen Turner, head of the department of microbiology at Melbourne’s Monash University, says what’s most likely is that virus originated in bats.

 

41 minutes ago, DavisH said:

Because co-incidence is proof. Right.

If you bothered to read the research on the topic, scientists are saying this virus very likely a product of evolution. It's natural. 

 

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-not-human-made-in-lab.html

 

 

Like Legionaries disease.....?

33 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

  1 hour ago, hydraides said:

Actually in this case, its very likely the virus came from the Wuhan lab

 

The main outbreak occurred only  a few miles from the lab

 

Its to much of a coincidence 

 

Think about the measures China and the world are taking, Shutting down a whole cities

 

This virus has been tweaked in a lab

Got any evidence for this utter horse-sh#t, or did you just pull it out of the sky,?

i believe trump, because i want to believe!

governments, ours at least, are never wrong.

but even if they are, what's the worst that could happen?

 

 

"We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Like every other one of Trump's announcements of investigations, it is based on lies and will come to nothing. 

 

He needs quit trolling and focus on fixing the problems he himself has created. The nation needs some leadership, Trump is distracted by conspiracy theories he hopes will distract from his own failings. 

Wuhan China Virus China Responsible, doesn’t matter what this idiot Says  

8 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

Got any evidence for this utter horse-sh#t, or did you just pull it out of the sky,?

CCP Troll