Former CDC Director Redfield ‘Disappointed’ in Fauci’s Refusal to Investigate Evidence-Backed ‘Lab Leak’ Theory

HEMMER 9 30 here ░░░░░░░░ New York A top ░░░░░░░░ in China defending her ░░░░░░░░ in the lab in ░░░░░░░░ city of Wuhan where ░░░░░░░░ first emerged The thinking ░░░░░░░░ the virus leaked from ░░░░░░░░ lab is getting more ░░░░░░░░ more attention and now ░░░░░░░░ former CDC director Robert ░░░░░░░░ sitting down for an ░░░░░░░░ interview with Fox Dr ░░░░░░░░ Siegel spent two hours ░░░░░░░░ him over the weekend ░░░░░░░░ good morning to you ░░░░░░░░ did you learn SIEGEL ░░░░░░░░ a year and a ░░░░░░░░ ago Dr Robert Redfield ░░░░░░░░ CDC director had a ░░░░░░░░ about the emerging virus ░░░░░░░░ did Dr Anthony Fauci ░░░░░░░░ felt that the evidence ░░░░░░░░ to a lab manipulation ░░░░░░░░ a leak and Fauci ░░░░░░░░ t Clip starts REDFIELD ░░░░░░░░ s an alternative hypothesis ░░░░░░░░ it went from a ░░░░░░░░ virus got into a ░░░░░░░░ where in the laboratory ░░░░░░░░ was taught educated it ░░░░░░░░ so that it became ░░░░░░░░ virus that could efficiently ░░░░░░░░ human to human My ░░░░░░░░ opinion as a virologist ░░░░░░░░ that s the hypothesis ░░░░░░░░ I support You know ░░░░░░░░ individuals Tony Fauci for ░░░░░░░░ would say that he ░░░░░░░░ to support that it ░░░░░░░░ from nature I think ░░░░░░░░ are the two hypotheses ░░░░░░░░ ends SIEGEL Dr Fauci ░░░░░░░░ long believed the virus ░░░░░░░░ from an animal intermediary ░░░░░░░░ theory that gained the ░░░░░░░░ traction in the media ░░░░░░░░ only recently he has ░░░░░░░░ that there might be ░░░░░░░░ explanation Clip starts REDFIELD ░░░░░░░░ think Tony is holding ░░░░░░░░ to this hypothesis tightly ░░░░░░░░ why would that be ░░░░░░░░ scientists when they get ░░░░░░░░ bite into a bone ░░░░░░░░ a hypothesis it s ░░░░░░░░ for them to move ░░░░░░░░ I guess if I ░░░░░░░░ disappointed about anything about ░░░░░░░░ early scientific community is ░░░░░░░░ there seemed to be ░░░░░░░░ lack of openness to ░░░░░░░░ both hypotheses Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Dr Redfield told me ░░░░░░░░ had a higher level ░░░░░░░░ clearance than others on ░░░░░░░░ task force working directly ░░░░░░░░ the State Department and ░░░░░░░░ National Security Council giving ░░░░░░░░ early knowledge of the ░░░░░░░░ characteristics that others on ░░░░░░░░ task force just didn ░░░░░░░░ have But much of ░░░░░░░░ he reviewed was classified ░░░░░░░░ says data like this ░░░░░░░░ to be shared wider ░░░░░░░░ protect Americans Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ I think the first ░░░░░░░░ error was we called ░░░░░░░░ SARS like CoV 2 ░░░░░░░░ not SARS like And ░░░░░░░░ calling it SARS like ░░░░░░░░ mounted a public health ░░░░░░░░ that was mirrored off ░░░░░░░░ The problem is Covid ░░░░░░░░ nothing like SARS This ░░░░░░░░ transmission is largely asymptomatic ░░░░░░░░ that strategy that we ░░░░░░░░ in January and February ░░░░░░░░ finally figured out as ░░░░░░░░ got into March that ░░░░░░░░ t the situation here ░░░░░░░░ most of the transmissions ░░░░░░░░ Covid was from asymptomatic ░░░░░░░░ was flawed Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Dr Redfield claims it ░░░░░░░░ a big mistake his ░░░░░░░░ team wasn t allowed ░░░░░░░░ the Wuhan lab when ░░░░░░░░ virus was first identified ░░░░░░░░ January of 2020 He ░░░░░░░░ he should ve pushed ░░░░░░░░ to get in right ░░░░░░░░ and the World Health ░░░░░░░░ was too compromised to ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts REDFIELD I ░░░░░░░░ they were highly compromised ░░░░░░░░ they were incapable of ░░░░░░░░ China to adhere to ░░░░░░░░ treaty agreements that they ░░░░░░░░ on global health because ░░░░░░░░ didn t do that ░░░░░░░░ they allowed China to ░░░░░░░░ the group of scientists ░░░░░░░░ can come in and ░░░░░░░░ That s not consistent ░░░░░░░░ their role Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Dr Redfield told me ░░░░░░░░ is concerned that manipulating ░░░░░░░░ may be research that ░░░░░░░░ are not quite prepared ░░░░░░░░ be doing And he ░░░░░░░░ against what he called ░░░░░░░░ down a path of ░░░░░░░░ arrogance Bill Dana HEMMER ░░░░░░░░ if you could just ░░░░░░░░ a fine point on ░░░░░░░░ for us I just ░░░░░░░░ to be very clear ░░░░░░░░ this Redfield s running ░░░░░░░░ CDC They had their ░░░░░░░░ on this thing probably ░░░░░░░░ December for sure in ░░░░░░░░ and February When did ░░░░░░░░ start thinking about the ░░░░░░░░ lab in Wuhan SIEGEL ░░░░░░░░ question Bill He started ░░░░░░░░ about it at the ░░░░░░░░ beginning December and January ░░░░░░░░ then he started accumulating ░░░░░░░░ through State Department and ░░░░░░░░ National Security Council that ░░░░░░░░ this suspicion he had ░░░░░░░░ he told me that ░░░░░░░░ task force was not ░░░░░░░░ on that They were ░░░░░░░░ on what was going ░░░░░░░░ here in the United ░░░░░░░░ so his voice was ░░░░░░░░ out Bill PERINO I ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ I ve learned from ░░░░░░░░ to really focus in ░░░░░░░░ was when dr Redfield ░░░░░░░░ that because we didn ░░░░░░░░ know about the origins ░░░░░░░░ in America were treating ░░░░░░░░ as if it were ░░░░░░░░ SARS like virus which ░░░░░░░░ had dealt before but ░░░░░░░░ was the exact wrong ░░░░░░░░ to do If he ░░░░░░░░ known that it was ░░░░░░░░ other issue the Coronavirus ░░░░░░░░ we would ve treated ░░░░░░░░ very differently And we ░░░░░░░░ about to come up ░░░░░░░░ the 600 000th American ░░░░░░░░ have died And you ░░░░░░░░ back to that and ░░░░░░░░ seems to me that ░░░░░░░░ why you need to ░░░░░░░░ how these things get ░░░░░░░░ That s why China ░░░░░░░░ ve cooperated in the ░░░░░░░░ place SIEGEL Dana that ░░░░░░░░ so true The structure ░░░░░░░░ the virus according to ░░░░░░░░ Redfield led to that ░░░░░░░░ asymptomatic spread that caused ░░░░░░░░ virus to rifle through ░░░░░░░░ communities and how contagious ░░░░░░░░ was was specifically due ░░░░░░░░ that And that s ░░░░░░░░ that the origins play ░░░░░░░░ exact role in you ░░░░░░░░ absolutely right HEMMER This ░░░░░░░░ really another fine point ░░░░░░░░ as we look back ░░░░░░░░ this Asymptomatic spread I ░░░░░░░░ t believe that we ░░░░░░░░ understood that until mid ░░░░░░░░ Because here in New ░░░░░░░░ we were living our ░░░░░░░░ And Madison Square Garden ░░░░░░░░ I think ten different ░░░░░░░░ over a span of ░░░░░░░░ or nine days And ░░░░░░░░ Wall Street Journal did ░░░░░░░░ great analysis the hundreds ░░░░░░░░ thousands of people that ░░░░░░░░ cycle through Madison Square ░░░░░░░░ for a hockey game ░░░░░░░░ an NBA game or ░░░░░░░░ college basketball game The ░░░░░░░░ remains that a lot ░░░░░░░░ these people could have ░░░░░░░░ exposed to it They ░░░░░░░░ out in the community ░░░░░░░░ the next 10 to ░░░░░░░░ days they are spreading ░░░░░░░░ Is that how we ░░░░░░░░ understand sort of the ░░░░░░░░ or the fault in ░░░░░░░░ understanding Covid in the ░░░░░░░░ beginning like that SIEGEL ░░░░░░░░ right Bill Very well ░░░░░░░░ Listen Redfield knew before ░░░░░░░░ everyone else He had ░░░░░░░░ high level clearance and ░░░░░░░░ told me he wishes ░░░░░░░░ had done a Manhattan ░░░░░░░░ of testing not just ░░░░░░░░ vaccine once he knew ░░░░░░░░ the asymptomatic spread was ░░░░░░░░ prominent HEMMER Okay one ░░░░░░░░ thing The lab leak ░░░░░░░░ he subscribes to based ░░░░░░░░ the World Health Organization ░░░░░░░░ report three months ago ░░░░░░░░ March does he think ░░░░░░░░ leak was accidental or ░░░░░░░░ with intent SIEGEL From ░░░░░░░░ I gleaned from that ░░░░░░░░ hours he does not ░░░░░░░░ the leak was on ░░░░░░░░ that it was accidental ░░░░░░░░ what was not accidental ░░░░░░░░ perhaps what was going ░░░░░░░░ in the lab in ░░░░░░░░ first place to tweak ░░░░░░░░ virus HEMMER Wow Lot ░░░░░░░░ revelations there Doctor Good ░░░░░░░░ PERINO Excellent work Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much SIEGEL Thank ░░░░░░░░ guys.”

HEMMER: “Thank you.”