Trump Bans Funding for Gain-of-Function Research in China, Other Countries

The U.S. government has previously funded gain-of-function research in China.
Trump Bans Funding for Gain-of-Function Research in China, Other Countries
President Donald Trump speaks to the media while signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on May 5, 2025. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images
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President Donald Trump on May 5 banned federal funding for gain-of-function research in some countries, including China, just weeks after his administration said that COVID-19 likely came from a Chinese laboratory that received U.S. funding.

“It’s a big deal,” Trump said in the Oval Office while signing the executive order.