It is “more likely than not” that COVID-19 originated at a lab in Wuhan, China, and did not develop naturally, a key GOP lawmaker said Sunday in another clear sign of the growing momentum behind the once-dismissed lab-leak theory.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Rep. Michael McCaul said Chinese efforts to destroy evidence and hide information related to the early days of the coronavirus will make it difficult for U.S. and international investigators to ever learn the full truth.
But the Texas Republican said he backs the Biden administration’s recent directive to the U.S. intelligence community to redouble its efforts on the issue and report back within 90 days.
“I do think it’s more likely than not that it emerged out of a lab, most likely accidentally,” said Mr. McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “This is the worst cover-up in human history that we’ve seen, resulting in 3.5 million deaths and economic devastation around the globe.”
“Time and time again we’re seeing this cover-up” by China, Mr. McCaul said.
