White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan downplayed the bombshell report by the Wall Street Journal that found the Department of Energy has concluded the COVID-19 pandemic most likely developed from a lab leak.
There is "no definitive answer," Sullivan said when questioned on the matter during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."
"One of the things in that 'Wall Street Journal's report, which I can't confirm or deny, but I will say the reference to the Department of Energy, President Biden specifically requested that the National Labs, which are part of the Department of Energy, be brought into this assessment because he wants to put every tool at use to be able to figure out what happened here," Sullivan said. "And if we gain any further insight or information, we will share it with Congress, and we will share it with the American people. But, right now, there is not a definitive answer that has emerged from the intelligence community on this question."
The Wall Street Journal released a report that the Energy Department, now equipped with "new intelligence," believes the Chinese virus emerged from a lab in Wuhan. Their report coincides with the FBI, while other agencies are sticking to the narrative that the Coronavirus resulted from natural transmission.
The Biden staffer said a "variety of views" on the virus's origin; however, they "just don't have enough information to be sure."
Sullivan also said that President Joe Biden has communicated "behind closed doors" to China that there will be dire consequences if they provide weapons to Russia to use against Ukraine.
"We will continue to send a strong message that we believe that sending military aid to Russia at this time, when they are using their weapons to bombard cities, kill civilians and commit atrocities, would be a bad mistake, and China should want no part of it," Sullivan said.
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