It's now abundantly clear president Donald Trump isn't using classified material provided him by the United States Intelligence Community (USIC) by continuing to insist the COVID-19 virus is a manmade virus engineered by China at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The virus that causes COVID-19 is the "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2," or SARS-CoV-2.
On Thursday, Trump again restated this falsehood, which is popular among the right-wing media and conspiracy theorists he follows, despite receiving intelligence from USIC a few days before stating the contrary. Trump claimed he has evidence linking SARS-CoV-2 to WIV but didn't provide any proof to back-up this allegation.
"Yes, I have," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he'd seen evidence that makes him confidence SARS-CoV-2 was produced at WIV. WIV is China's first biosafety level 4 laboratory and is administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Trump refused to answer when pressed on what he'd read that gives him the confidence to say SARS-CoV-2 was developed at WIV.
"I can't tell you that. I am not allowed to tell you that," said Trump.
Trump's renewed trumpeting of this falsehood came after USIC on Wednesday issued a press statement affirming SARS-CoV-2 isn't "manmade or genetically modified." It's unclear what sources Trump has read when he asserts SARS-CoV-2 was developed by China at WIV.
"The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified," said the USIC statement.
Despite being at odds with Trump's claim, USIC said it's investigating if the COVID-19 outbreak began through contact with animals or as a result of a lab accident in Wuhan.
"As we do in all crises, the Community's experts respond by surging resources and producing critical intelligence on issues vital to U.S. national security. The IC will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan."
Along with academics, USIC has consistently disputed the conspiracy theory SARS-CoV-2 was made at WIV. On the other hand, USIC hasn't completely dismissed the theory SARS-CoV-2 is a naturally-occurring virus being studied at WIV that escaped by accident into the Chinese population.
Many American health experts have long been skeptical of unfounded rumors SARS-CoV-2 has links to WIV. They say a non-laboratory scenario is much more plausible.
The New York Times reports senior Trump administration officials "have pushed American spy agencies to hunt for evidence to support an unsubstantiated theory" SARS-CoV-2 originated at WIV.
"The effort comes as President Trump escalates a public campaign to blame China for the pandemic," wrote the Times.
