The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Rand Paul: Pursuing Accountability on Lab Leak 'Deception'

Nov 18, 2023

Senator Rand Paul, author of Deception: The Great COVID Cover-Up, discusses his book and investigations into the origins of COVID-19. Topics include gain-of-function research, government funding in the Wuhan lab, accountability, dangers of synthetic biology, and the suppression of speech by government and big tech.

23:04

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Rand Paul

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Quick takeaways

COVID-19 may have originated from a lab in Wuhan, China due to the absence of the virus in tested animals and handlers, as well as the genetic homogeneity of the virus, suggesting potential lab manipulation.

Despite evidence of deception and potential criminal activity, there has been a lack of accountability and consequences for those involved, highlighting the need for real consequences if deception is proven and emphasizing the importance of bipartisan collaboration in addressing the issue.

Deep dives

Evidence of COVID-19 Origins in Wuhan Lab

Senator Rand Paul presents evidence suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab in Wuhan, China. The absence of the virus in tested animals and animal handlers, along with the homogeneity of the virus's genetic variety, indicate that it may have been manipulated in a lab. Internal emails and admissions from Anthony Fauci and other scientists further support this claim. Despite Fauci's public denial of funding gain-of-function research, private communications reveal that the National Institutes of Health did fund such research in Wuhan. The concealment of information and contradictory statements highlight a potential cover-up.

Introduction

2min

Senator Rand Paul's Proposals and Evidence of US Government Funding in Wuhan Lab

13min

The Need for Changes in Science Funding and Oversight

2min

Pursuing Accountability and Addressing Dangers of Synthetic Biology

2min

The Suppression of Speech and Government Interference in Big Tech

4min

This is the audio version of The Reason Livestream, which takes place every Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern.

"Senator Paul, you do not know what you what you are talking about." Those were the words that Anthony Fauci spoke in July 2021 to Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) following a series of questions from Paul about the possibility that Fauci's agency had funded research in Wuhan, China, that led directly to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul's new book, Deception: The Great COVID Cover-Up, aims to show that, in fact, he very much did know what he was talking about when it came to U.S. funding of risky gain-of-function research that involves making viruses more infectious and deadly to humans.

Internal emails later obtained by Congress showed that in February 2020, Fauci was concerned about gain-of-function research in Wuhan, and National Institutes of Health Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak admitted in an October 2021 letter to the House of Representatives that the agency had funded work there that led to a virus becoming more deadly in mice with humanized lungs.

I spoke with Paul about his book and his investigations into the origins of COVID-19. I asked him to reflect on his famous exchange with Fauci and what he thinks real accountability would look like. We also talked about his proposals to end all government funding of gain-of-function research and to prohibit government officials from meeting with social media companies for the purpose of censoring legal speech.

The post Rand Paul: Pursuing Accountability on Lab Leak 'Deception' appeared first on Reason.com.

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The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Rand Paul: Pursuing Accountability on Lab Leak 'Deception'

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Evidence of COVID-19 Origins in Wuhan Lab

Lack of Accountability and Consequences

Regulating Gain of Function Research and Speech Suppression

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts