Conservative leaders called Friday for the Trump administration to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, citing China’s “secrecy and lies” in releasing information about the deadly disease.
The letter spearheaded by Media Research Center President L. Brent Bozell said the “world needs to know the details behind the spread of this deadly virus so everyone understands exactly how this was started” and “who was responsible.”
“It’s impossible for us to know the true origin of this virus in China because China has refused to share information,” the letter said. “As Senator Tom Cotton has correctly pointed out, there are several possible scenarios about the origin of the Wuhan Coronavirus. We do know that Chinese secrecy and lies have made the crisis far worse.”
The letter, signed by 40 conservative leaders, noted that Chinese officials have attempted to shift blame with unfounded suggestions the virus was brought to Wuhan by the U.S. Army or originated outside China.
“China’s outright and extreme politicization of this horrible disease is outrageous, unacceptable, and dangerous,” the letter said. “That politicization has already spread panic across the world.”
Thousands are dying all over the world because of this killer virus. Mr. President, America needs you to investigate this. https://t.co/ZTk9mXmBCg
— Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) March 20, 2020
National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said last week that the Chinese “covered up” the virus’s outbreak, delaying the worldwide response by about two months.
The conservative signers, who include Reagan biographer Craig Shirley and the Resurgent’s Erick Erickson, also said that U.S. media are “creating panic and blaming your administration.”
“All of this could have been prevented if the Chinese government had merely exercised its responsibility in containing this disease and sharing more information sooner,” the letter said.
The White House had no immediate public response, but Donald Trump Jr. on Friday retweeted Mr. Bozell’s call for an investigation.
The Trump administration said it has sought since early January to send U.S. experts to the affected areas, while White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director Kevin Droegemeier asked the National Academy of Sciences last month to study the virus’s origin.
• Bill Gertz contributed to this story.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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