A major update has happened to the federal government’s digital space that used to give updates and facts about COVID-19, the virus that has claimed over a million American lives. That website now sends visitors to a newly launched White House page, where strong blame is placed on China as the source of the pandemic.
A bold statement appears right at the top of the page, reading “Lab leak, the true origins of COVID-19.” President Donald Trump has strongly pushed the idea that the virus came from a Chinese laboratory.
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This change to the online COVID-19 portal came at a time when Trump is deepening his trade battle with China and continuing to criticize past administrations. The website also places Dr. Anthony Fauci, who once served as chief health adviser to President Joe Biden, at the top of its blame list for not backing the lab leak claim.
Details Shared on the Updated Website
Trump’s new version of the COVID-19 resource contains five specific points to back the idea that the virus started in a lab. One of those points focuses on the city of Wuhan, which is known for housing a major virus research facility and is where the outbreak was first noticed.
Previous versions of the website had a wide range of useful health content, based on archived records. It gave advice about vaccine access, testing options, and treatments. There was also detailed support for people managing long COVID symptoms and a section where individuals could request home test kits.
Instead of maintaining that public health focus, Trump’s latest website now strongly opposes safety measures that were earlier introduced by former administrations. These measures include stay-at-home orders, face mask usage, and social distancing.
Criticism Toward Public Officials and Organizations
Among the individuals targeted by the updated site is Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York, who is now running for mayor of New York City.
According to the page, Cuomo’s approach to handling the pandemic amounted to “medical malpractice.” The page also condemns the World Health Organization, describing its role during COVID-19 as completely ineffective.
When Trump took office in January, he began a yearlong procedure to remove the United States from the WHO. The country had been its biggest source of funding before that decision.
As of now, Fauci, Biden, Cuomo, and the World Health Organization have not made any public remarks about the new site.
CIA Weighs In and China Responds
The redesigned White House page followed a statement from the Central Intelligence Agency that offered limited support for the lab leak suggestion.
An official from the agency mentioned in January that the organization leans toward the virus coming from a laboratory rather than developing naturally. However, the same statement added that confidence in this view is low and that a natural origin remains a valid possibility.
Chinese officials have responded by saying they are working to find the real origin of the virus. At the same time, they have accused the United States of using the issue for political reasons, especially because U.S. intelligence departments are now leading the investigation.
