The reported DOE finding gave new life to arguments from GOP lawmakers who have claimed, without evidence, that federal officials have covered up the origins of the virus that has killed more than a million Americans. Other agencies have said evidence points to the virus arising naturally in China before being transmitted to humans.
The Energy Department declined Monday to comment on the article, saying through a spokesperson: “The Department of Energy continues to support the thorough, careful, and objective work of our intelligence professionals in investigating the origins of COVID-19, as the President directed.”
During an interview Sunday with CNN, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said a “variety of views” exist within the intelligence community about how Covid began.
The investigation is a full government effort and not led by one agency, Kirby said. He added that President Joe Biden has been regularly informed of what agencies have found regarding coronavirus origins.
“The president made trying to find the origins of Covid a priority right when he came into office and he has a whole government effort designed to do that,” Kirby said during a White House press briefing Monday. “There is not a consensus right now in the U.S. government about exactly how Covid started.”
“The president wants to understand that, so we can prevent better future pandemics,” Kirby added.
When the information is available, the administration will brief Congress and the American people, he said.
Staff writers Robin Bravender and Brian Dabbs contributed to this report.
