What Changes Did Trump’s Administration Make to Gain-of-Function Research Rules?

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President Trump halts federal funding for gain-of-function research in countries with weak biosafety controls, citing evidence that COVID-19 likely emerged from risky laboratory experiments funded by U.S. taxpayers through China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Key Takeaways

  • President Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal funding for gain-of-function research in countries like China and Iran that lack proper safety protocols.
  • The order directly addresses the suspected origins of COVID-19, which much evidence points to having emerged from U.S.-funded research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
  • Over $1.4 million in U.S. grants were funneled through EcoHealth Alliance to the Wuhan Lab for bat coronavirus research between 2014 and 2021.
  • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned that countries including China, Russia, and Iran are conducting gain-of-function research for potential biological warfare.
  • The executive order includes a temporary pause on certain high-risk research in the U.S. until stronger safety protocols are developed within 120 days.

Trump’s Bold Action Against Pandemic Risks

President Trump’s executive order marks a critical step in protecting Americans from potentially catastrophic laboratory accidents. The comprehensive policy ends U.S. taxpayer funding for dangerous gain-of-function research in countries with insufficient oversight and biosafety standards, particularly targeting China and Iran. This research, which involves deliberately making pathogens more transmissible or virulent, poses significant risks that outweigh potential benefits. Trump’s action directly addresses growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic likely resulted from U.S.-funded research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“President Trump has long theorized that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has consistently pushed for transparency in investigating its origins,” stated The White House.

The order specifically targets the kind of research that created the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated global economies and cost millions of lives. Under the Trump administration’s new policy, federal agencies are empowered to immediately halt funding for biological research that poses serious threats to public health, national security, or safety. This decisive action closes loopholes that previously allowed dangerous research to continue with American tax dollars, particularly under the Biden administration’s lax oversight policies.

Evidence of Previous Funding Abuses

An alarming investigation revealed that over $1.4 million in federal grants were channeled through the EcoHealth Alliance to the Wuhan Institute of Virology between 2014 and 2021. These funds supported research on bat coronaviruses that likely contributed to the COVID-19 outbreak. The timing of this funding coincides with the pandemic’s emergence, reinforcing suspicions about the laboratory origin of the virus. Trump’s order directly addresses this problematic funding pipeline, establishing strict accountability measures to prevent similar research from endangering public health in the future.

“Many people believe that gain-of-function research was one of the key causes of the COVID pandemic that struck us in the last decade,” explained White House Secretary Will Scharf.

Trump’s executive order also includes a temporary pause on certain high-risk research within the United States until stronger safety protocols can be developed. The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Security Advisor have been directed to create a comprehensive policy framework within 120 days that balances scientific progress with necessary safety precautions. This thoughtful approach recognizes the importance of continued innovation while ensuring potentially dangerous research doesn’t threaten public health.

Expert Support for Trump’s Policy

The executive order has received strong endorsement from leading health experts, including Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who emphasized the dangers of gain-of-function research. “The conduct of this research does not protect us against pandemics, as some people might say,” Dr. Bhattacharya stated, directly refuting claims that such research is necessary for pandemic preparedness. This expert opinion reinforces President Trump’s position that the risks associated with manipulating dangerous pathogens far outweigh potential benefits, particularly when considering the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a big deal. It could have been that we wouldn’t have had the problem [with COVID-19] had we done this,” President Trump explained regarding the significance of his executive order.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added another concerning dimension to the discussion, revealing that several hostile nations are actively engaged in gain-of-function research with potential military applications. “Countries like China, Russia, and Iran are engaged in gain-of-function research for potential warfare use,” Kennedy warned. He also noted that historically, gain-of-function research has produced no meaningful benefits despite its significant risks, further justifying Trump’s decisive action to protect Americans from these unnecessary threats.

Strengthening America’s Biosecurity Future

President Trump’s executive order represents a crucial step toward preventing future pandemics while maintaining America’s leadership in biotechnology and biosecurity. Unlike previous policies that lacked enforcement mechanisms, this order includes robust reporting requirements and clear consequences for non-compliance. By ending taxpayer funding for dangerous research in countries with inadequate safety standards while developing stronger domestic protocols, Trump is addressing both immediate risks and long-term biosecurity concerns.

“If one of these pathogens is released accidentally or if they are released deliberately, they can cause pandemics,” warned Richard Ebright, highlighting the gravity of the risks being addressed.

This executive order demonstrates President Trump’s commitment to putting America first by protecting citizens from unnecessary health risks while holding foreign nations accountable for dangerous research practices. The policy specifically targets the kind of laboratory manipulations that likely created COVID-19 while establishing a framework that allows beneficial scientific research to continue under appropriate safety protocols. By taking this bold action, Trump has addressed a critical national security vulnerability that previous administrations failed to properly confront.

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