WASHINGTON, May 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a radio interview Tuesday on the John Fredericks Show, former White House Drug Spokesman Robert Weiner asserted, "China must prove the Covid-19 virus didn't start in its Wuhan lab or shut it down."

Weiner, who issued a statement with senior policy analyst Ben Lasky, asked Fredericks, "With 2000 viruses being studied at the Wuhan lab, which could be the next to escape or be released?"

Link to show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDcILUZfjPI

Weiner said, "When addressing rumors that Coronavirus started in a Chinese biolab, Four-Star Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "US intelligence is taking 'a hard look.'" 

Now, President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo are saying U.S, Intelligence is investigating the Wuhan lab as the possible source of Covid-19.

Weiner pointed out that the Washington Times reported on March 30 that the Wuhan, China biolab had isolated more than 2,000 new viruses, including Covid-19. Weiner said, "It turns out that the Wuhan Institute of Virology is 1/4 mile from the 'wet market' that US Intelligence earlier believed began the virus.  The Chinese removed pages from its website linking its researchers to studying the virus."  While President Trump said, "We are investigating." and "I'm not happy with China," he also said he expects the $250 billion recent US-China trade deal to succeed. 

Weiner told Fredericks, "The situation reminds us of fears after 9/11 over possibility of a Chinese, Russian, or other country's biological 'dirty bomb' that could slowly envelope the West.  Milley on April 14 said it's likely 'natural. Trump since said he thinks it's a "horrible mistake."  Weiner points out, "The Chinese government has shown they are not open with anything critical."

Weiner asserted. "If they need to temporarily shut down the Wuhan lab and announce it to give the world peace of mind, so be it. Are three million cases and 200,000 deaths so far, not far worse than even Russia's Chernobyl, which AEA said caused 4000 deaths and the Russians shut down?"

"It's not about politics. Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives must admit that Trump's signature issue from before his presidential campaign has been forcing China into the open and stopping their campaigns against Western trade, intellectual property—and safety.  Democrats since Richard Gephardt's presidential campaign of 2004 have crusaded against the Chinese economic and safety assaults on the U.S.

Weiner added, "Trump is not wrong that the World Health Organization (WHO) stuck with Chinese propaganda that Coronavirus is not dangerous." On January 14, the WHO tweeted, "Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission."  Weiner pointed out that "Trump, Dr. Anthony Fauci of NIH and many others believed the WHO at the outset."

Weiner concluded, "The U.S. and all nations must join to persuade China to mandate facts and protect the world's health. If powerful tools including trade and even military operations like ship and air movements over Asia's oceans are needed, now is the time."

"How safe do we now feel with 2000 viruses being studied with no world oversight in the Wuhan lab? Which virus is next?" Weiner and Lasky asked.

Weiner was Clinton and Bush White House spokesman for the Office of National Drug Policy.  Lasky is senior policy analyst at Solutions for Change and Robert Weiner Associates.

Contact: Bob Weiner/Ben Lasky 301-283-0821, cell 202-306-1200 [email protected]

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change