Poll: Most Voters Say It Is ‘Likely’ Coronavirus Originated in Chinese Lab, Support an Investigation

Most voters believe it is “likely” the Chinese coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab and support an investigation into the matter, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Thursday found.

The survey, which Rasmussen Reports conducted May 25-26 among 900 likely U.S. voters, asked respondents, “How likely is it that the COVID-19  virus originated in a Chinese laboratory?”

Sixty-eight percent deem the scenario likely. Of those, 43 percent say it is “very” likely and 25 percent say “somewhat’ likely. This opinion, that it is at least somewhat likely that the virus originated in a Chinese lab, is held by a majority of Republicans (82 percent), Democrats (57 percent), and independents (67 percent).

Voters overwhelmingly believe it is “important” for federal authorities to investigate the origins of the Chinese virus, with 53 percent deeming it “very” important, followed by 29 percent who said “somewhat” important, 11 percent who said “not very” important, 4 percent who said “not at all” important, and 3 percent who remain unsure. A majority of both Republicans and Democrats agree that it is at least somewhat important for federal authorities to investigate the matter, 84 percent and 82 percent, respectively.

The survey follows rising skepticisms over the origins of the virus, reignited by a Wall Street Journal report detailing a U.S. intel finding that three Wuhan lab workers became sick and were hospitalized in Fall 2019, exhibiting symptoms consistent with the Chinese coronavirus months before the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) declared a global pandemic.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is among those renewing calls for an investigation:

The Biden White House, however, has warned against jumping to conclusions on the origins of the virus until a full investigation is completed.

“What we can’t do, and what I would caution anyone doing, is leaping ahead of an actual international process,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday. “We don’t have enough data and information to jump to a conclusion at this point in time.