Well, look, I think what slowed down efforts more than anything else were the early statements that were published by a few scientists dismissing the idea that it could have come out of a lab, and in fact, caricaturing people who thought that it might have come out of a lab.

Matthew Pottinger

Matthew F. Pottinger is an American former journalist and U.S. Marine Corps officer who served as the United States Deputy National Security Advisor from September 22, 2019 until January 7, 2021. Previously serving as Asia Director on the National Security Council since 2017, his tenure was unusual among senior aides serving under President Trump for its length, given an administration marked by high turnover. Pottinger worked to develop the Trump administration's policies towards China.He submitted his resignation on the afternoon of January 6, in the wake of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol. He left the White House the following morning.

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