There remains many open questions about whether the agency’s funding played a role in the creation of COVID-19 in a Wuhan laboratory.
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President Donald Trump’s effort to unilaterally wind down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has sparked a heated debate about the agency’s role in pandemic response.
USAID’s defenders cite its important role in researching viruses and responding to disease outbreaks. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk, on the other hand, accused it of “[funding] bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people.”
Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people? https://t.co/YVwyKA7ifs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
