Undercurrents EXCLUSIVE: NIH defies Trump's ban on gain-of-function crackdown
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Sep 3, 2025 Emily Kopp, an investigative reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation, dives deep into the conflict between the NIH and the Trump administration over gain-of-function research. She reveals that the NIH is defying a ban on creating novel pandemic viruses. The conversation touches on controversial public health strategies, the influence of key figures like Dr. Bhattacharya, and the troubling implications for accountability in science. Kopp raises ethical questions about the intertwining of public health and national security, sparking a thought-provoking discussion.
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Contrast Between CDC And NIH Leadership
- Kopp contrasts RFK Jr.'s active shake-up at CDC with Jay Bhattacharya's quieter tenure at NIH.
- She reports Bhattacharya appears less engaged and more captured by institutional dynamics than some expected.
Executive Order Promised A Ban, Text Did Not
- The White House executive order on gain-of-function (GOF) research was publicly framed as a ban but the text limited bans to adversarial countries and started an interagency rulemaking process.
- Emily Kopp reports the final policy drafting included NIH despite earlier plans to exclude it, changing the outcome substantially.
Ceremony Rhetoric Versus Legal Reality
- Kopp tracked early drafts and sources indicating the administration intended an outright ban on risky GOF work.
- She says the signed document was watered down, creating a communications gap between ceremony rhetoric and legal text.