Staff Reports
The White House defended its efforts to find out what caused COVID-19 to emerge.
According to reports, the Department of Energy concluded that the virus was most likely released from a laboratory. Chinese officials then accused the US of politicizing the matter.
The president made finding the source of COVID-19 a top priority when he took office.
After reviewing new intelligence, the DOE concluded that a leak from a laboratory was the most likely source of the virus. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the agency made the conclusion based on a classified analysis.
The report prompted Republicans to call for a public statement from the Biden administration regarding the suspected leak.
Despite being asked numerous questions, John Kirby was not prepared to discuss the matter Monday.
He noted that the exact cause of the COVID-19 outbreak was not yet clear. He also refused to discuss the reports that claimed that the government might have a preliminary indication of the virus' origin.
The FBI joined the DOE in concluding that the virus came from a leak at a laboratory. Other agencies, such as the CIA, have not reached a definite conclusion.
Despite the lack of definitive information regarding the virus' origin, Kirby noted that the president wanted to know the details of the incident.
He said the president wanted to know what happened so that the government could prevent another pandemic.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Washington Examiner
