Press releases

Watch Kennedy question NIAID Director Fauci here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today questioned National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci about whether U.S. grant money could have funded gain-of-function research in Wuhan.

Key exchanges from the Appropriations subcommittee include:

Kennedy: “Dr. Fauci, I believe you have testified that you didn’t give any money to the Wuhan lab to conduct gain-of-function research. Is that right?”

Fauci: “That is correct.”

. . .

Kennedy: “How do you know they didn’t lie to you and use the money for gain-of-function research anyway?”

Fauci: “Well, we’ve seen the results of the experiments that were done and that were published—and that the viruses that they studied are on public data bases now. So, none of that was gain-of-function, so—"

Kennedy: “How do you know that they didn’t do the research and not put it on their website? 

Fauci: “There’s no way of guaranteeing that, but in our experience with grantees, including Chinese grantees, which we have had interactions with for a very long period of time, they are very competent, trustworthy scientists.”

. . . 

Kennedy: “You think all the scientists have told the truth in terms of the origin of the Wuhan virus and not been influenced by the Communist Party of China, do you?” 

Fauci: “I don’t have enough insight into the Communist Party in China to know the interactions between them and the scientists, sir.”

. . .

Kennedy: “Here’s where I’m getting at: You gave them money, and you said, ‘Don’t do gain-of-function research.’”

Fauci: “Correct.”

Kennedy: “And they said, ‘We won’t.’”

Fauci: “Correct.”

Kennedy: “And you have no way of knowing whether they did or not, except you trust them. Is that right?”

Fauci: “Well, we generally always trust the grantee to do what they say, and you look at the results—”

Kennedy: “Have you ever had a grantee lie to you?”

Fauci: “I cannot guarantee that a grantee has not lied to us because you never know.”

Kennedy: “Can we agree that if you took President Xi Jinping and turned him upside down and shook him, the World Health Organization would fall out of his pocket?”

Fauci: “I don’t think I can answer that question, sir. I’m sorry.”