Trump Acts To Halt Federal Funding For Dangerous Virus Research

President Donald Trump is planning to sign an executive order that would suspend federal funding for gain-of-function research, a controversial practice aimed at making viruses more transmissible or deadly to study their potential risks. The order aims to prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting research that could have dangerous consequences for public health.

Despite the broad scope of the order, reports suggest that bird flu research could be exempted from the funding freeze. Critics argue this potential exemption is alarming, given that bird flu has often been cited by health officials as a likely source of the next pandemic.

While the executive order is expected to cover federally funded programs, it will not restrict research carried out by private institutions. This has led some to raise concerns about whether the move will effectively limit the risks associated with gain-of-function studies.

The White Coat Waste Project, a watchdog group that has campaigned against government-funded virus experiments, has praised Trump’s move. The group previously uncovered funding that supported high-risk research at the Wuhan lab, which many believe played a role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Lawmakers such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) have long called for an end to taxpayer support for gain-of-function studies. Despite these efforts, the Biden-Harris administration continued to allocate funds for these projects, further fueling concerns over public safety.

Meanwhile, controversy continues to swirl around former President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon Dr. Anthony Fauci before leaving office. The pardon, which was backdated to 2014, has raised questions about Fauci’s role in the funding of risky virus research and whether the move was intended to prevent further scrutiny.