Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before Congress on Monday that he kept an open mind on the true origins of the virus that caused the global Covid-19 pandemic. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) tried his best to nail him on trying to dismiss the theory that the virus was the result of a lab leak.
In the early months of the pandemic in 2020, Fauci expressed that he was not convinced that the Covid-19 virus was spread as a the result of a lab leak, pointing to scientific evidence at the time. In May 2020, he told National Geographic:
If you look at the evolution of the virus in bats and what’s out there now, [the scientific evidence] is very, very strongly leaning toward this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated … Everything about the stepwise evolution over time strongly indicates that [this virus] evolved in nature and then jumped species.
Then in March 2021, Fauci acknowledged to CNN the belief by former CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield that the virus originated in a lab and “escaped” as one of “a number of theories,” adding that “he was giving an opinion as to a possibility, but again, there are other alternatives – others, that most people hold by.”
In a testy exchange with Jordan, Fauci testified that he “kept an open mind” as to the origins of the virus:
Jordan: Did U.S. tax dollars flow through a grant
recipient to the lab in China?Fauci: I’m sorry, what was…?Jordan: Did U.S. tax dollars flow through a grant recipient to the lab in China?Fauci: Yes, of course. It was a sub-award to the Wuhan Institute –Jordan: And who approved that award?Fauci: Excuse me?Jordan: Who approved that award? What agency approved that award?Fauci: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Jordan: Your agency approved that, right?Fauci: Yes, it did after –Jordan: Does that have anything to do with this downplaying the lab leak theory?Fauci: No!Jordan: Nothing to do with it.Fauci: Nothing.Jordan: What do you do? You agree that there was a push to downplay the lab leak theory?Fauci: Not on my part.Jordan: Really?Fauci: Really!Jordan: Wow!Fauci: Wow.Jordan: Well, I think most of the country would find that. I find that amazing. I still got 11 seconds.Fauci: Look at the facts. I’ve kept an open mind throughout the entire process.Jordan: All right. I yield back.
Watch the video above via Fox News.