Trump Plans Executive Order To End Federal Support For Gain-Of-Function Research

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order aimed at suspending federal funding for gain-of-function research, a practice that enhances viruses to study their potential threat to humans. According to sources familiar with the plan, the order seeks to block taxpayer dollars from funding experiments that could pose significant risks to public health.

Despite the broad scope of the proposal, reports suggest that studies related to bird flu could be excluded from the order. Critics have raised concerns about this potential exemption, arguing that bird flu has long been considered one of the most likely sources of a future pandemic.

The executive order, which has yet to be finalized, would only apply to federally funded research, leaving privately funded projects unaffected. This has led some to question whether such research could still continue under different funding sources.

Organizations like the White Coat Waste Project, which has worked to expose government-funded experiments, welcomed Trump’s move. Justin Goodman, a senior official with the group, said the decision was long overdue and a necessary step to prevent another global health crisis.

 

Lawmakers such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) have pushed to end funding for gain-of-function projects, arguing that the Biden-Harris administration failed to take the necessary steps to stop potentially dangerous research even after the pandemic.

Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden issued a controversial pardon for Dr. Anthony Fauci, backdating it to 2014. Critics have questioned the timing of the pardon, suggesting it was intended to shield Fauci from scrutiny over his involvement in funding virus experiments.

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