New York Times COVID Reporter Claimed Wuhan Lab Leak Theory Has ‘Racist Roots’

May 27, 2021
covid reporter racist roots

A health reporter covering the pandemic for the New York Times claimed that speculation that the COVID outbreak began with a Wuhan lab leak has “racist roots.”

Apoorva Mandavilli, in a since-deleted tweet, wrote that she longs for a day when the conversation of the lab leak origin theory is no longer discussed.

“Someday we will stop talking about the lab leak theory and maybe even admit its racist roots,” Mandavilli wrote. “But alas, that day is not yet here.”

She later added the Wuhan lab leak theory was “possible” but not “plausible.”

Let’s go over that again.

A health reporter for the New York Times apparently doesn’t want any reporting on where the coronavirus pandemic originated. A pandemic that has thus far killed 3.5 million people worldwide.

Worse, she doesn’t want you to know that solely due to the fact it could reveal the virus came from China because, presumably, any criticism of China is racist.

This person works for the “Newspaper of Record.”

RELATED: Report: Biden Admin Shut Down Investigation Into Whether COVID Originated In China Lab

COVID Reporter Says Wuhan Lab Leak Theory Is ‘Racist’

Mandavilli, the New York Times COVID reporter, would later double-down on her statements.

“A theory can have racist roots and still gather reasonable supporters along the way,” she tweeted. “Doesn’t make the roots any less racist or the theory any more convincing, though.”

Mandavilli deleted the tweets and explained that they were simply “badly phrased.”

“I deleted my earlier tweets about the origins of the pandemic because they were badly phrased,” she wrote. “The origin of the pandemic is an important line of reporting that my colleagues are covering aggressively.”

Progressive journalist Glenn Greenwald, who shared her original comments, expressed surprise upon learning Mandavilli is a New York Times COVID reporter.

“Oh my god: I didn’t realize what her job is,” he tweeted. “The NYT’s COVID reporter is saying we should stop talking about the lab leak theory — *even if it’s how COVID entered humans *– because that theory (unlike, I guess, the wet market theory) is racist.”

RELATED: House Intel Republicans Say ‘Significant Circumstantial Evidence’ Shows COVID Leaking From Wuhan Lab

Lab Leak Theory Is Gaining Traction

The New York Times COVID reporter controversy comes amid renewed interest in the lab leak theory.

Last week, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee said there is “significant circumstantial evidence” that the COVID-19 outbreak emanated from a Wuhan Institute of Virology leak.

Some have speculated that the COVID release did not occur naturally but rather, as CNN states, “that mistakes or an accident in a Chinese lab” caused the outbreak.

Now, however, President Biden wants the US intelligence community to redouble its efforts in investigating the origins of the pandemic.

The New York Times on Wednesday reported that Biden’s call for further investigation into the virus’ origins shows “the administration takes seriously the possibility that the virus was accidentally leaked from a lab.”

By their own COVID reporter’s words, the Times coverage of that fact has “racist roots.”

 

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By Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss has been covering politics for over 15 years. His writings have appeared in the Daily Caller, Fox... More about Rusty Weiss

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