CIA Director Ratcliffe Discloses Previously Classified Lab-Origin Theory of COVID-19

January 26, 2025

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has introduced a new openness about the origins of COVID-19.

According to Fox News, The newly disclosed Biden-era assessment suggests COVID-19 likely originated from a lab incident in Wuhan, indicating a significant move towards transparency.

John Ratcliffe, who was officially confirmed as the CIA Director last Thursday, did not waste time in making impactful disclosures. Shortly after stepping into his role, he presented a previously undisclosed assessment from the Biden administration which aligns with a lab-leak theory centered around the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Shifting Perspectives on COVID-19's Origins

This assessment posits that the virus likely emerged from a lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research in Wuhan. A CIA spokesperson communicated that the agency, with low confidence, now slightly favors this theory over natural transmission scenarios, although both remain plausible.

The findings starkly contrast the earlier consensus during 2020 among top health officials who largely supported the notion of COVID-19 as a naturally occurring virus.

For the first time in five years, the CIA has made public its assessment concerning the pandemic's origins. Through this act, Ratcliffe aimed to rebuild public trust in U.S. intelligence following directives emphasizing transparency.

New CIA Leadership Commits to Transparency and Protection

Discussing the importance of this disclosure, CIA Director John Ratcliffe expressed his commitment to both truthfulness and the safety of the American public. John Ratcliffe explained his rationale for releasing this particular assessment, highlighting its origins in the prior administration to counter claims of political bias. He emphasized the dual role of the CIA in ensuring national security while maintaining honesty with the public.

"I had the opportunity on my first day to make public an assessment that took place in the Biden administration, so it can't be accused of being political, and the CIA has assessed that the most likely cause of this pandemic that has wrought so much devastation around the world was because of a lab-related incident in Wuhan, so we'll continue to investigate that moving forward."

The spokesperson reiterated the tentative nature of these findings, stating the CIA's ongoing analysis process to incorporate credible new intelligence or open-source information that could refract their current understanding.

CIA's Role in Addressing National Threats

The release not merely aims at clarity but also reflects an attempt to rectify the broader relationship between intelligence agencies and the general public, as initially directed by President Trump. In addition, Ratcliffe also disclosed the profound implications of the pandemic, underscoring the disastrous consequences it brought globally, including significant losses in lives, jobs, and economic stability in the United States.

"The purpose of the CIA is to protect Americans, to keep us safe from foreign threats and foreign adversaries, but we also need to be truthful with Americans, and he [President Trump] has stressed to me and others that these aren't mutually exclusive missions. We can do both."

John Ratcliffe has asserted that despite the delicate balance of truth and security, the CIA as the world's premier foreign intelligence service must uphold its duty to be forthright with the American populace about critical issues like pandemic origins.

As investigations continue, the CIA remains committed to updating its assessment with any new and substantive information that comes to light. This approach underpins their ongoing mission to deliver reliable intelligence while fostering trust and transparency between the government and the people it serves.