Citing no evidence, Trump says he’s seen information that coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab
Without citing any evidence, President Trump said he’s seen information that the coronavirus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China. When pressed by a reporter to back up his claim, Trump said he wasn’t at liberty to do so.
Video Transcript
- You've said a moment ago you will soon have information on where this virus originated. The Director of National Intelligence today put out a statement saying that they believe it was naturally occurring. It was not man-made.
DONALD TRUMP: Who was that? Who was that that said that?
- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, but who in particular? Who was the man that made that statement?
- It was a statement that the ODNI--
DONALD TRUMP: Oh, you wouldn't know that, national intelligence. So we'll see.
- That would be your Director of National Intelligence--
DONALD TRUMP: Well, I-- no, I think--
- --saying that.
DONALD TRUMP: I think it's-- I mean, you'd have to tell me who, specifically. Who made the statement?
- The statement was just put out under the office of the ODNI.
DONALD TRUMP: OK, we'll see. I mean, I have to see the statement. I just haven't seen it.
- But the question I had was have you seen anything, at this point, that gives--
DONALD TRUMP: Because we're looking at that, John, separately from--
- Correct, but--
DONALD TRUMP: We're looking at exactly where it came from, who it came from, how it happened separately and also scientifically. So we're going to be able to find out.
- And my question is have you seen anything, at this point, that gives you a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus?
DONALD TRUMP: Yes, I have. Yes, I have.
- Are you suggesting that maybe you have some evidence that this was not a naturally-occurring virus?
DONALD TRUMP: We're going to see what-- you're talking about the virus and where it came from?
- Yeah.
DONALD TRUMP: No, we're going to see where it is. We're going to see where it comes from. And you know, look, you know every theory. You had the theory from the lab. You had the theory from many different-- the bats, the type of bat, and the bat is 40 miles away, so it couldn't have been here, and it couldn't have been there. And we have-- there's a lot of theories. But yeah, we have people looking at it very, very strongly, scientific people, intelligence people, and others.
- And what gives you that--
DONALD TRUMP: And we're going to put it all together. I think we're going to have a very good answer, eventually.
- And what gives you a--
DONALD TRUMP: And China might even tell us. China may tell us.
- And what gives you a high degree of confidence that this originated from the Wuhan Institute of Viruology?
DONALD TRUMP: I can't tell you that. I'm not allowed to tell you that.
