Tulsi Gabbard, on Final Day as US DNI, Alleges Fauci Funded Wuhan Research
Outgoing US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has accused former Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci of funding gain-of-function research at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, influencing intelligence assessments on COVID-19 origins, and misleading Congress under oath. On what she described as her final day in office, Gabbard released a tranche of declassified communications and documents that she said expose Fauci's role in the controversy.
Key Allegations from the Declassified Documents
Announcing the release, Gabbard stated that the newly declassified material contains previously unseen communications showing Fauci's involvement in funding coronavirus research in Wuhan and his interactions with intelligence officials during the pandemic. According to Gabbard, Fauci provided millions in US taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab, worked with politicized elements within the Intelligence Community to suppress the truth, and lied to Congress while under oath in 2024.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) alleged that Fauci, while serving as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), directed millions of dollars towards gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The ODNI claimed that this research is now widely viewed as the source of the unintentional lab leak that sparked the pandemic.
Cover-Up and Deep State Tactics
Gabbard emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic caused tremendous hardship and that after years of lies, censorship, and cover-ups, the American people deserve transparency. She accused Fauci of covering up his own wrongdoing, manipulating intelligence, lying to Congress, and undermining a duly elected President by restricting his access to vital facts. According to the ODNI, the documents were uncovered during a year-long declassification review undertaken in support of President Donald Trump's transparency agenda.
Fauci's Role and Congressional Testimony
The ODNI alleged that Fauci maintained close ties with intelligence officials and played multiple roles during the pandemic, including as a government-funded researcher, adviser to intelligence agencies, and public spokesperson. The agency claimed that Fauci and senior intelligence officials created a self-serving circular reporting loop in which NIAID-funded scientists influenced intelligence assessments that were later cited as evidence against the lab-leak theory. The newly released documents reportedly contradict Fauci's 2024 testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, where he stated under oath that he had no knowledge of communications with intelligence agencies concerning viral research.
Whistleblower Testimony and Pardon
The release cited whistleblower testimony alleging that intelligence analysts who supported the lab-leak hypothesis faced professional consequences, including marginalization and intimidation. Fauci was issued a pre-emptive pardon by Former President Joe Biden in January 2025, with Biden stating that exceptional circumstances warranted the pardon but that it did not imply wrongdoing. Fauci, who served as the US leading infectious disease expert for nearly four decades, has been a target of criticism from the political right over his role during the pandemic.
Broader Context: US-Funded Biolabs
The Fauci-related disclosures follow another declassification effort by Gabbard on June 12, which alleged that the US government has funded over 120 biological laboratories across more than 30 countries, including facilities in Ukraine. The ODNI claimed that some of these labs were involved in research on hazardous pathogens and gain-of-function research, and that information about their existence and funding had been withheld from the public. Gabbard criticized politicians and health professionals for lying about the existence of US-funded biolabs.
Gabbard's Resignation
According to Fox News, Gabbard informed Trump that she would step down to support her husband, Abraham Williams, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Her resignation will take effect on June 30, and Bill Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will assume the role of Acting Director of National Intelligence while retaining his current position.
