U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa alongside the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump's administration is intensifying its attacks against American medical professionals and scientists, particularly those associated with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
With each prosecution, the White House advances the lab-leak theory, or the claim the Coronavirus Pandemic originated in a Chinese laboratory, argues The Atlantic's senior editor Daniel Engber.
Recent actions include FBI arrests of a flu expert and the indictment of a coronavirus researcher in Detroit.
Engber warned that "repercussions may yet extend to other scientists" and raised concerns that "research policy is being handled by the Department of Justice" rather than through proper administrative channels."
The report also included a warning for Andrew Fauci, who headed NIAID for nearly for decades.
"In effect, research policy is being handled by the Department of Justice," he said. "America’s doctor may soon be dragged out to testify once more: The science that he championed appears to be unfettered; the scientists he funded are at risk of ending up in chains."
Watch the video below.