The Office of Director of National Intelligence, the top spy agency in the United States, said on Thursday that the intelligence community concurred that the novel coronavirus was NOT manmade or genetically modified. This was the first time that the agency has released statement on the matter, hoping to put an end to swirling conspiracy theories putting the blame on China.
According to the supposed theories, China may have intentionally spread the virus through genetic engineering to seal its reign of the world. The theories claim that Chinese scientists designed for the virus to be used as a biological weapon. Some theories claimed the escape from laboratories in Wuhan was accidental, but, that just the same the virus was engineered to be lethal.
Some of these theories are even promulgated by hardcore supporters of US President Donald Trump. Even the president himself and officials of his government have in several instances floated these conspiracy theories.
"The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified," said the statement from Office of Director of National Intelligence.
Asked to comment on the statement from the spy agency on Thursday, Trump remained persistent to blame China for the virus. He went at lengths in saying that he has seen "confidential" evidence that gives him a "high degree of confidence" that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory.
Reports have it that officials within the Trump government are subjecting the US intelligence community to extreme pressure in finding a link between the virus and a Wuhan laboratory, specifically the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The officials reportedly want to see a link even as little as the virus accidentally escaping from the lab.
Insiders were telling that the officials are already frustrated at this point. According to them, the pressure has reached an alarming "level." Their persistence dismissed repeated warnings from the scientific community that the world may never know the exact origin of the virus.
Meanwhile, another report revealed a 57-page memo supposedly from the National Republican Senatorial Committee urging Republican candidates to blame China for the COVID-19 pandemic. The memo instructed the candidates to not to defend Trump against criticisms on how he handled the crisis. Instead, blame the Chinese government for spreading the virus.
The memo also told candidates to blame their opponents for not having a strong stance against China and for ruling against calling the virus as "Chinese virus." The memo was reportedly created by strategist Brett O'Donnell.
