In the earliest days of the pandemic, Facebook took it upon itself to curb “fake news” about the coronavirus. In a blog post from January 30, 2020, the company announced that it would “start to remove content with false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations and local health authorities that could cause harm to people who believe them.”
One such “conspiracy theory” was that COVID-19 originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and then escaped.
On April 30, 2020, President Trump was asked about this theory during a press briefing.
“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?” a reporter asked.
“Yes, I have. Yes, I have,” Trump replied. “And I think that the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves because they’re like the public relations agency for China. And this country pays them almost $500 million a year, and China pays them $38 million a year. And whether it’s a lot or more, it doesn’t matter. It’s still — they shouldn’t be making excuses when people make horrible mistakes, especially mistakes that are causing hundreds of thousands of people around the world to die. I think the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves.”
Later in the briefing, he was asked, “What gives you a high degree of confidence that this originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology?”
“I can’t tell you that. I’m not allowed to tell you that.”
Trump couldn’t say whether it was accidental or intentional, but the media launched a full assault on Trump’s claims.
“What to make of the Trump administration’s Wuhan lab theory,” wrote Axios in a piece that noted, “The U.S. intelligence community and scientists like Anthony Fauci say there’s now enough evidence to conclude that the virus evolved naturally, putting to rest claims that it was some sort of bioweapon.”
Other reports attempted to undermine Trump’s assertion he’d seen evidence the virus originated in the Wuhan lab.
“Trump, Pompeo Back Theory Wuhan Lab to Blame for Covid. U.S. Intelligence Is Less Convinced,” read the headline at Bloomberg. “Trump fans flames of Chinese lab coronavirus theory during daily briefing” reported The Guardian.
“Trump’s Wuhan Lab Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory Is Bogus, According to, Uh, Everyone,” claimed VICE News in their headline.
“President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s claims that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab are getting little support elsewhere, with the World Health Organization, Western intelligence sources and even Trump’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci all saying there is no evidence to back the theory,” read their report.
Business Insider even suggested that then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other “China hawks” were spreading the “conspiracy theory” because they were “just performing for an audience of one — President Donald Trump.”
Yet on Wednesday, Facebook made the stunning reversal of their policy to delete posts alleging that COVID-19 may be man-made and originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of COVID-19 and in consultation with public health experts, we will no longer remove the claim that COVID-19 is man-made from our apps,” Facebook said in a statement. “We’re continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge.”
This is a stunning admission by Facebook, and a total vindication of Trump, who was repeatedly accused of pushing a conspiracy theory.
Don Trump Jr. reacted to this in a video:
Yet, this mea culpa for the media is still being blamed on… you guessed it… Donald Trump.
“I think it is important to remember that part of the issue is when this was first being reported on and discussed back a few months after the pandemic had begun, was that then President Trump and Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, suggested they’ve seen evidence that this was formed in a lab and they also suggested that is was not released on purpose,” said New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. “But they refused to release the evidence showing what it was and so because of that made this instantly political.”
NYT’s @maggieNYT on the Wuhan lab leak theory: “Important to remember … then-Pres Trump and Pompeo both suggested they’d seen evidence this was formed in a lab … but they refused to release the evidence … because of that, that made this instantly political.” pic.twitter.com/r9zi1lJT74
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) May 25, 2021
Ummm… Really? It’s Trump’s fault? Are we supposed to forget how often the media politicized every aspect of the pandemic, from the China travel ban to claiming Trump called COVID-19 a hoax to pushing the fake ventilator shortage story?
No, Trump didn’t politicize it, the media did. The Democrats did. They wanted the pandemic to be their ticket to defeating Trump in November and nothing was immune from politicization. The same media that mocked Trump over the Wuhan lab theory praised Andrew Cuomo, who sent thousands of elderly New Yorkers to their early deaths with his disastrous nursing home policy and then tried to cover it up.
Once again, Trump has been vindicated, and he deserves an apology.
It is the China-Biden Virus it was created by China and Biden just to steal the election and it worked. Biden and China should be held accountable.
Trump has been right on so many points, but the news media and politicians would never give him credit.
President Trump deserves MORE than one apology! It disgusts me, to see how unfairly he was treated from the very first day of his presidency! Yet, he worked harder for the American people than ANY other president in our history!
MSM has been proven to be biased and political.
Try Aljazeera news and CCTV news both available on Youtube and in English.
Neither has USA political axe to grind and is therefore much more balanced.
There were several people who worked in the lab who came out and said the virus came from the lab (and these people mysteriously disappeared) and yet the media continued to believe Fauci and the WHO…now Biden is going to have a “90 day investigation” to get the truth… who thinks after
18 months they are going to find evidence or witnesses????? A complete waste of time and $$$$$$
That is how communism works. Murder is not off the table. That is what happened to Seth Rich who worked for the Queen of communists in America.
A dead person is no longer a possible threat.
I think we need to use the Democrats playbook. If you don’t like what the Democrats are saying get in their face wherever they are throw things at them, hit them destroy their property. If it’s alright for them to do it it should be alright for everyone else! After all their politicians tell their idiotic followers to do this and nothing happens to the one instigating it or the ones committing the crimes. They set the precedent. And any lawyer should be able to use that as a defense!
You are right. The old southern democRAT party created the KKK to be it’s violent enforcement arm. Today the current democRAT communist party has the BLM and antifa to do their violent dirty work. An just look at all the cities where the mayors stood by and allowed BLM and antifa to riot and destroy. These mayors all belong in prison for aiding the domestic terrorists is destroying their cities.
Just who and what were the people that trump sent to the Capitol building in an attempt at insurrection? Ordering his VP and others to be executed? I think KKK, White Supremacists, Proud White Boys and many other “WHITE” insurrectionists.
.Get a grip
I so totally agree with all the above. The democrats have had it in for President Trump from day one. The couldn’t handle the fact that he is honest and straight forward. It offended their delicate senses. He should NEVER have left office. He was the best president in at least 60 years. He followed through on everything he said and so much more. The lying democrats will never prosper or do anything for the American people. America NEEDS President Trump back where he belongs. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I agree with an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Do unto other as they do to you. We need to play dirty just like the Dumbocrats.
Malcolm X “The white liberal is the worst enemy to America, and the worst enemy to the black man”.
There should be some way to de-certify or expell the democRAT communist party from America. Communism and our Constitutional Republic cannot co-exist on this continent.
Biden should be executed for treason and crimes against humanity along with Harris, Pelosi and the rest of the garbage that stinking up the White House….Must be great to have all that power and be above the law…
You put the wrong name there. trump, 2 time IMPEACHED president, who failed completely in 4 years, who killed over 250,000 people with his failure in handling of COVID outbreak, began the Insurrection and ordered his VP to be executed, is the one to be executed for his crimes, along with half of the GOP for complicity.
Trump was NEVER INPEACHED. The worthless dumb ass a craps are the most corrupt people on the face of the earth. Always have been and always will be.
You need to change your name to, “Reality Checkless.
let’s call it the BIDEN-FAUCI virus. two TRAITORS that are GUILTY of TREASON against the United States of America.
Don’t forget Obama and Hillary there the one’s actually running the country.
When Mr. Trump closed off air travel from China (Taiwan had a month earlier) I assumed he had intel (maybe via Taiwan) that the virus was much worse than Red China was saying, despite Fauci and the left-stream media following the WHO/PRC party line. You can count on the ‘experts’ to reverse themselves on every statement based on ‘science’.
You people are nuts! Did you forget the orange idiot didn’t tell anyone for month’s? Then kept saying it wasn’t dangerous and it would go away in a few months? And the best, to ingest bleach??? Get your heads out of the trump-ade bowl and wake the hell up.
You need to wake up they lie to you and you couldn’t see the truth if it bit you in the ass. Why do you think the dumbocrats sencer everything. And how about all the taxes going up and the gas & food. You probably have 3-4 kids where the goverment is handing out the tax payers money for you live on.
Checkless spoke again and is still as stupid as before.
You are correct Linda he could not see the truth if it bit him in the ass. That is because he has his head up his ass.
No matter who does or does not apologize, the damned Democrats will do anything either legal or illegal to gain power. They have no idea of getting rid of the Corona Virus – it aids them in their effort to keep the people on edge and in doubt. Biden is no help at all – he doesn’t know shit from shinola, and never has. He, like many others in our Federal Government are no better than common leeches. They will suck up every cent they can, and don’t give a damned who it may hurt. We had a President that tried to make the USA a better place to live; Biden and his scum are tearing our country apart. Racism was rapidly disappearing under Trump but Biden’s Bunglers are increasing racism ’cause it is one of their major goals.
Yes, racism has become quite an issue again since Brainless Biden has fraudulently in office. The people knew President Trump worked his heart to improve things in America, for Americans. Great man.🇺🇸. Biden is is cahoots with China. Biden can be bought very cheaply. And yes, china initiate the Wuhan virus.
I say if the dumbocrats don’t like it here move the hell out. You are not tied down with a ball and chain yet anyway. Why make every one else’s lives miserable just because your not happy. LEAVE…………….
Thelma, President Trump has never worked a day in his life (manual labor). Why do u think that he can relate to the common person? look at his entire life. He is in politics for one reason (HIMSELF). I hope it becomes clear to u one day!