What is Trump's 'Lab-Leak' Theory? White House Releases COVID-19 Website Amid Tariff War With China

New Delhi: President Donald Trump 's White House launched a new COVID-19 website that pushes the controversial "lab-leak theory" regarding the origins of the pandemic, and blamed China for the same. The site also criticises former President Joe Biden , Dr Anthony Fauci, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for their handling of the virus's origins and response.

The website explores the theory that the coronavirus was accidentally released from a laboratory in China's Wuhan, rather than originating naturally. "The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2 publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak theory — was prompted by Dr Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally," reads the new website.

WATCH | China Responds to 245% Tariffs, Tells U.S. to Stop ‘Blackmailing’

Hitting directly at China, the site states that Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researchers showed COVID-like symptoms in fall 2019, months before the virus was linked to the Wuhan wet market. The site also claims that the virus exhibits biological traits not found in nature.

The White House's website also criticises public health measures, including social distancing, mask mandates, and lockdowns, which it argues were unnecessary and ineffective. "There was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID-19," the site asserts, noting the inconsistency in guidance from public health officials, which led to public distrust.

Earlier this year, when Trump assumed office, a CIA spokesperson had suggested that the pandemic was more likely to have originated from a laboratory than from natural sources, further fueling the lab-leak theory.

The website also slams the WHO, calling its response to the pandemic a "failure" and accusing the organisation of caving to Chinese Communist Party pressures. It claims that the WHO put China's political interests above its international responsibilities during the crisis.

Also read | China Asks US to 'Stop Whining' About Being a Victim in Global Trade

China's Response to US Claims

In response to these claims, China denied the lab-leak theory, arguing that the US is politicising the issue. The Chinese government emphasised that it has supported and participated in efforts to investigate the origins of COVID-19 and stated that there is no credibility to the accusations of a lab leak.

This latest development comes at a time of heightened tensions between the US and China, particularly amid the ongoing tariff war and other diplomatic challenges between the two nations.