'I was right' - Donald Trump says claim ‘China virus’ came from Wuhan lab has been proven correct

DONALD TRUMP has doubled down on his previous claim that Covid-19 originated out of a laboratory in Wuhan, amid reports in the US suggesting health officials believe it to be an increasingly credible theory.

Writing in a statement issued via his new blog platform From The Desk of Donald Trump, the former US President continued to push the idea the “China virus” was developed by scientists.

“Now everybody is agreeing that I was right when I very early on called Wuhan as the source of Covid-19, sometimes referred to as the China Virus,” he said.

“To me it was obvious from the beginning but I was badly criticized, as usual.”

Trump concluded: “Now they are all saying “He was right.” Thank you!’”

There is no evidence the coronavirus originated out of a lab and no proof it was manufactured by scientists.

However, there have been renewed calls from the White House for a formal independent investigation into the origins of the virus.

It follows a report from The Wall Street Journal last weekend claiming three Wuhan researchers went to hospital in November 2019 with similar symptoms to those associated with the virus.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters: “We are and we have reportedly called for the WHO (World Health Organization) to support an expert-drive evaluation of the pandemic’s origins that is free from interference and politicisation”.

Psaki has since doubled down on the White House’s calls for an independent investigation and has pledged that the US ‘would certainly participate in that with all our resources’.

She also pledged that the Biden Administration would “continue to press the Chinese to release that data and information and play a constructive role in the second phase in the investigation”.

Trump has long been an exponent of the lab leak theory, declaring in one press conference that he had a “high degree of confidence” it came from a Wuhan lab, despite such claims contradicting those of the US intelligence community.

The former president has come under fire for his use of the term “China virus”.

the Chinese American Civil Rights Coalition has launched a federal lawsuit against Trump, alleging that his use of phrases like “Chinese virus”, “Wuhan virus” and “Kung Flu” led to an increase in crimes against Chinese-Americans and Asian-Americans.

They are seeking $22.9 million in damages, which equates to $1 for every Asian-American and Pacific Islander living in the US.