Did coronavirus escape from a Chinese lab? Not likely, but Trump is 'hearing the story and we'll see'


Virologists and other experts who have studied the new coronavirus say its genome precludes the possibility it was engineered by humans, as alleged in some conspiracy theories. But top Trump administration officials are at least entertaining the idea that the naturally occurring virus was accidentally spread from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a lab run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and located about eight miles from the animal market where the COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have originated last November or December.
Trump was asked Wednesday about a Fox News report that sources say the Trump administration believes an intern at the lab infected her boyfriend who then spread the virus at the Wuhan market. "More and more, we're hearing the story, and we'll see," Trump said. "We are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened."
Other Trump administration officials are being equally coy, saying they can't prove it didn't leak from the lab. "The mere fact that we don't know the answers — that China hasn't shared the answers — I think is very, very telling," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday on Fox News. Defense Secretary Mark Esper added on Thursday's NBC Today that he doesn't "have much faith that they're even being truthful with us now" in Beijing, though "a majority of the views right now is that it is natural, it was organic."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said Tuesday that with all the "rumor and speculation," the Pentagon has "taken a keen interest" and "had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that," and "at this point it's inconclusive." The Pentagon's chief medical officer, Joint Staff Surgeon Brig. Gen. Paul Freidrichs, was less circumspect when asked about the Wuhan lab theory: "No."
Nathan Grubaugh, who studies the epidemiology of microbial disease at Yale, told The Associated Press the negligent-lab theory was unlikely, though he "would put it on a list of 1,000 different scenarios." It isn't just the U.S., though. Italian populsit Matto Savlini has also spread the Wuhan lab speculation and China has tested out the idea that the U.S. created the virus in a lab, as BBC News notes in this fact-check of coronavirus misinformation from world leaders. Peter Weber
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Taking the low road: why the SNP is still standing strong
Talking Point Party is on track for a fifth consecutive victory in May’s Holyrood election, despite controversies and plummeting support
-
Has the Gaza deal saved Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question With elections looming, Israel’s longest serving PM will ‘try to carry out political alchemy, converting the deal into political gold’
-
French finances: what’s behind country’s debt problem?
The Explainer Political paralysis has led to higher borrowing costs and blocked urgent deficit-reducing reforms to social protection
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats