President Donald Trump on Monday kept a promise he made last year by signing an executive order that bans federal funding for gain-of-function research in countries like China and Iran, which is believed to be at the heart of the COVID-19 lab leak in Wuhan.
Trump outlined his plan to deal with gain-of-function research to Just The News‘ John Solomon on his podcast last October.Â
“For decades, policies overseeing gain-of-function research on pathogens, toxins, and potential pathogens have lacked adequate enforcement, transparency, and top-down oversight,” the White House said in a fact sheet obtained by Fox News. “Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate potential for societal harms that this kind of research poses.”Â
The executive order also allows U.S. research agencies to identify and end federal funding of other biological research that could cause a future pandemic, or pose a threat to American health and safety.Â
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
