Republicans erupt after Energy Dept reportedly says COVID-19 likely came from Chinese lab: 'We need answers'

Congressional Republicans erupted connected Twitter Sunday day aft the U.S. Energy Department reportedly assessed that nan COVID-19 pandemic apt originated from an accidental laboratory leak successful China.

The Energy Department, which was antecedently undecided connected nan root of nan pandemic, now joins nan FBI’s stance that nan coronavirus apt dispersed owed to a mishap astatine a Chinese laboratory, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a classified intelligence study precocious provided to nan White House and cardinal members of Congress.

The laboratory leak theory, or nan mentation that nan microorganism came from a laboratory leak astatine nan Wuhan Institute of Virology successful Wuhan, China, was wide dismissed arsenic a conspiracy mentation and "misinformation" by Democrats, awesome news outlets, scientists and societal media companies successful nan early stages of nan pandemic.

Now, Republicans are calling for accountability from nan Chinese Communist Party arsenic grounds mounts that it is to blasted for nan pandemic.

Security unit guidelines defender extracurricular nan Wuhan Institute of Virology successful Wuhan, China, connected Feb. 3, 2021.

ANOTHER US AGENCY ASSESSES COVID-19 ORIGIN LIKELY A CHINESE ‘LAB LEAK’: REPORT

"Re. China’s laboratory leak, being proven correct doesn’t matter," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., tweeted. "What matters is holding nan Chinese Communist Party accountable truthful this doesn’t hap again."

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images / File)

Both nan Washington Post and nan New York Times had accused Cotton of repeating a "fringe theory" erstwhile he mentioned nan laboratory leak anticipation backmost successful February 2020. The Post issued a correction to 1 of its stories much than a twelvemonth aft calling nan mentation "debunked."

The Times came nether occurrence past period aft a group of 43 nationalist information experts signed a missive accusing nan Times, Time magazine, Lancet and Nature Medicine of stifling debate connected nan origins of nan virus.

LANCET CALLS FOR ‘OBJECTIVE, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT’ DEBATE OVER COVID-19 ORIGINS

"The elites and academics beryllium everyone who had morganatic questions and concerns astir nan origins of COVID an apology," Rep Ken Buck, R-Colo., tweeted. "The American group merit to spot each nan accusation concerning nan Chinese laboratory leak and nan origins of COVID. This won’t beryllium forgotten."

"4 [clown emojis] for Glenn," Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tweeted, taking a changeable astatine Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler who antecedently said, "It is virtually intolerable for this microorganism jump from nan lab" and attacked Cruz.

 "So nan authorities caught up to what Real America knew each along," tweeted Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

"Americans knew this from Day One," tweeted Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. "Unfortunately, Big Tech and Big Government silenced them."

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., tweeted: "The American group merit nan afloat truth about #covid origins. No much whitewash. I will again present authorities to make nan US government’s intelligence reports connected covid unfastened to nan people."

NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS SLAM MEDIA, SCIENTISTS FOR PREMATURELY SHUTTING DOWN COVID-19 ORIGINS DISCUSSION

"[Former Director of nan National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony] Fauci knew this instantly but dismissed it because of backing for nan Wuhan lab," Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., tweeted. "We cognize what happened adjacent — erstwhile Fauci said Big Tech censored. I exposed this collusion arsenic AG and I'll activity to guarantee this type of censorship ne'er happens again."

The Twitter relationship for Republicans connected nan House Committee connected Oversight and Accountability wrote: "More grounds continues to equine that COVID came from nan Wuhan lab. We’ve uncovered emails showing Dr. Fauci was warned that nan microorganism looked man-made & came from a lab, but he whitethorn person acted to screen it up. Why? We request answers & accountability."

"Big Tech censored accusation indicating COVID resulted from a laboratory leak," Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted. "Now, Biden’s ain Energy Department is saying that’s nan astir apt cause. We request accountability – for some nan Chinese Communist Party and Big Tech."

The National Intelligence Council and 4 different agencies assess astatine "low confidence" that nan COVID-19 pandemic originated owed to earthy transmission from an infected animal, while nan CIA and different unnamed agency are undecided. The Energy Department’s updated report, according to nan Journal, maintains a statement betwixt each nan intelligence agencies that nan pandemic was not nan consequence of a Chinese bioweapons program.   

The Energy Department’s position is significant, according to nan Journal, because it has sizeable technological expertise and oversees a web of U.S. nationalist laboratories, immoderate of which behaviour precocious biologic research. People who publication nan classified study told nan Journal that the Energy Department ranks its caller judgement astatine "low confidence," while nan FBI classed its aforesaid conclusion successful 2021 that nan COVID-19 pandemic was nan consequence of an accidental laboratory leak astatine "moderate confidence" and maintains that view.

A information personification moves journalists distant from nan Wuhan Institute of Virology. (AP Photo / Ng Han Guan / File)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In a connection to nan Fox News Digital connected Sunday, a spokesperson for nan Energy Department said, "The Department of Energy continues to support nan thorough, careful, and nonsubjective activity of our intelligence professionals successful investigating the origins of COVID-19, arsenic nan President directed."

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was asked astir nan Journal’s study during an quality connected CNN Sunday: "There is simply a assortment of views successful nan intelligence community. Some elements successful nan intelligence organization person reached conclusions connected 1 side, immoderate connected nan other. A number of them person said they conscionable don’t person capable accusation to beryllium sure," Sullivan said.

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.