President Donald Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya in the Oval Office on Monday.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So it can leak out like from Wuhan, and a lot of people think that. I think I said that right from day one. It leaked out, whether it was to the girlfriend or somebody else. But a scientist walked outside to have lunch with a girlfriend or was together with a lot of people. But that’s how it leaked out, in my opinion. And I’ve never changed that opinion. So it can leak out innocently, stupidly, incompetently, but innocently. And half destroy the world. That’s right. DR. JAY BHATTACHARYA, NIH DIRECTOR: That’s right, Mr. President. ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Mr. President. There are, I think, three leaks. I’m yes, all three of the four labs are highest rated laboratories almost every week. There’s no laboratory that does this right. There’s no laboratory that’s immune from leaks. And this is going to prevent those kind of leaks from happening in the future and endangering humanity. The COVID outbreak cost 20 million lives and cost the world at least 25 trillion dollars. And this executive order is a precaution against us being involved in that kind of research in the future. TRUMP: That’s good. Very honored to do this.

🇺🇸 @POTUS signed an Executive Order to END all present and future federal funding for dangerous gain-of-function research in countries of concern, while enhancing the safety and security of U.S. biological research without hindering innovation. pic.twitter.com/BNZCDfDNXy

– The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 6, 2025

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