President Trump Takes Decisive Action Against Gain-of-Function Research

In a bold move to safeguard national and global biosecurity, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, effectively halting all U.S. federal funding for gain-of-function research in nations deemed high-risk, including China and Iran. This directive aligns with his ongoing efforts to enhance the safety protocols surrounding biological studies both domestically and internationally.

Addressing the Origins of COVID-19

President Trump has consistently supported the notion that the COVID-19 virus originated from a lab incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, exacerbated by gain-of-function research and inadequate safety measures. According to FOX News, the White House stated that this new order “will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology.”

What is Gain-of-Function Research?

Gain-of-function research involves genetically altering organisms, such as viruses, to increase their capabilities, including making them more infectious to humans. It’s believed that such research was being conducted at the Wuhan Lab prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that caused global devastation.

Official Statements and Support

During the signing at the White House, President Trump, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., emphasized the necessity of this order. Kennedy Jr. highlighted on X (formerly Twitter), “There’s no laboratory that’s immune from leaks — and this is going to prevent inadvertent leaks from happening in the future and endangering humanity.” Furthermore, Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, pointed out, “Any nation that engages in this research endangers their own population, as well as the world, as we saw during the COVID pandemic.”

Broader Implications of the Executive Order

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The executive order not only terminates current and future U.S. federal funding for gain-of-function research in countries with lax oversight but also mandates U.S. research agencies to cease funding any biological studies that could threaten American public health, safety, or national security. The White House released a fact sheet which criticized the previous lack of “adequate enforcement, transparency, and top-down oversight” in managing gain-of-function research, acknowledging the “legitimate potential for societal harms” posed by such studies.

This decisive action by President Trump is a significant step towards preventing future pandemics and securing the health and safety of American citizens and the global community from biological threats.