Media, Fauci Acknowledge COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory After Dismissing It Initially

The theory that the COVID-19 outbreak may have begun with a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China is gaining more credence in the U.S. and internationally after it was dismissed by some early on in the pandemic. Major news sources including CNN (Left bias), the New York Times (Lean Left) and PolitiFact (Lean Left) are among the sources who initially described the hypothesis as a debunked conspiracy, but have recently deemed it at least somewhat plausible amid emerging circumstantial evidence and growing calls to investigate it further. Conversely, many right-rated media sources have reported on the theory since the pandemic’s outset. 

Left-rated voices often argued that because former President Donald Trump was advancing this theory alongside other purportedly false narratives at the start of the pandemic, it became lost in the mix and not vetted properly. Voices from the right often criticized that explanation, accusing left-rated media of groupthink and blatant anti-Trump bias; some also focused on mixed messaging from public officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci.