NSC spox John Kirby on Monday fielded questions from reporters in the White House press briefing room.
A Fox News reporter asked Kirby about the Wall Street Journal’s latest report on the origins of Covid-19.
The US Energy Department came out and claimed that Covid was released from a lab.
But no American entity has yet to claim that the release was intentional.
“The new report highlights how different parts of the intelligence community have arrived at disparate judgments about the pandemic’s origin. The Energy Department now joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation in saying the virus likely spread via a mishap at a Chinese laboratory. Four other agencies, along with a national intelligence panel, still judge that it was likely the result of a natural transmission, and two are undecided.” – the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend.
John Kirby was asked about the lab leak and refused to confirm the reporting.
“On the Department of Energy’s findings the lab leak mostly likely caused the pandemic, how should Americans understand China’s response…swatting down this information?” Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asked Kirby.
“There is not a consensus right now in the US government about exactly how COVID started,” Kirby said.
VIDEO:
JACQUI TIME: “On the Dept of Energy’s findings the lab leak mostly likely caused the pandemic, how should Americans understand China’s response…swatting down this information?”
Kirby insists COVID origins is “a priority” for Biden, but there’s “not a consensus” in the U.S. yet pic.twitter.com/dVnXBaBOvw
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 27, 2023
Kirby continued to stonewall.
“What caused the DOE assessment and was the President himself briefed on that?” AP reporter Chris Megerian asked Kirby.
“Again, I’m not going to confirm the press reporting,” Kirby said adding that Biden has been ‘informed’ along the way.
WATCH:
AP’s @ChrisMegerian: What caused the DOE assessment and was the President himself briefed on that?
John Kirby: Again, I’m not going to confirm the press reporting.” pic.twitter.com/Ve6fYYCJxw
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 27, 2023
Videos courtesy of NewsBusters