Trump Ends Federal Funding for Dangerous Gain-of-Function Research: 'Could Have Been That We Wouldn't Have Had the Problem' (May 5, 2025)

President Donald Trump signed an order to stop federal money for the risky virus research many believe set off the COVID pandemic. “It’s a big deal. Could have been that we wouldn’t have had the problem we had—right?” Trump said in the Oval Office on May 5, 2025, as he held up the signed order, according to the transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

“Gain-of-function research is a type of biomedical research where pathogens are adulterated, viruses are adulterated to make them more potent or to change the way that they function,” White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf explained. “Many people believe that gain-of-function research was one of the key causes of the COVID pandemic that struck us in the last decade.” [1]

The video above shows Trump with his health officials on May 5, 2025. Quotes are from the American Presidency Project and the National Institutes of Health [1][2][3][4][5].

”Ends Any Present and All Future Federal Funding”

The White House said the order “ends any present and all future Federal funding of dangerous gain-of-function research in countries of concern like China and Iran and in foreign nations deemed to have insufficient research oversight.” [2]

“These measures will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology,” the fact sheet says [2].

“Protects Americans from lab accidents and other biosecurity incidents, such as those that likely caused COVID-19 and the 1977 Russian flu,” the fact sheet says [2].

The order opens: “Dangerous gain-of-function research on biological agents and pathogens has the potential to significantly endanger the lives of American citizens. If left unrestricted, its effects can include widespread mortality, an impaired public health system, disrupted American livelihoods, and diminished economic and national security.” [3]

The order itself, Executive Order 14292, also says: “The Biden Administration allowed dangerous gain-of-function research within the United States with insufficient levels of oversight. It also actively approved, through the National Institutes of Health, Federal life-science research funding in China and other countries where there is limited United States oversight.” [3]

“There’s No Laboratory That’s Immune”

“Mr. President, gain of function—this is an historic day, the end of gain-of-function research funding by the Federal Government and also controls by private corporations on gain-of-function studies,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said [1].

“In all of the history of gain-of-function research, we can’t point to a single good thing that’s come from it,” Kennedy said [1].

“There’s no laboratory that does this right. There’s no laboratory that’s immune from leaks. And this is going to prevent those kind of inadvertent leaks from happening in the future and endangering humanity,” he said [1].

”It Might Leak Out”

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said the research aims at making pathogens “more virulent, more transmissible in humans,” and that “many scientists believe” it “is responsible for the COVID pandemic.” [1]

“The conduct of this research does not protect us against pandemics, as some people might say. It doesn’t protect us against other nations. What it does is it—there’s always a danger that, in doing this research, it might leak out—just by accident, even—and cause a pandemic,” Bhattacharya said [1].

“So it can leak out, like from Wuhan. And a lot of people think that. I think I said that right from day one,” Trump said [1].

”Likely Preventable”

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary agreed. “It’s unbelievable to think the entire nightmare of COVID was likely preventable. And you had good instincts early on, Mr. President, in suggesting it came from the Wuhan lab. That is now the leading theory among scientists,” he said [1].

“It was 5 miles from the hospital where it first broke out,” Makary said [1].

”No Autopen”

Trump also signed an order to bring drug manufacturing home and a proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month. “One of the most important supply chain issues we currently face as a country is our pharmaceutical supply chain. This is an Executive order intended to promote domestic manufacturing of pharmaceuticals,” Scharf said [1].

“We’re going to have a big announcement next week on some of this kind of thing, but more related to costs, the cost of medicines and drugs, because we’re being ripped off, as you know, very badly,” Trump said [1].

“See, no autopen. Isn’t it nice?” Trump said as he signed the mental health proclamation, to laughter [1].

By the Numbers

5 miles: between the Wuhan lab and the hospital where COVID first broke out, per Makary [1].
May 7, 2025: when NIH stopped taking new applications for the research [4].
July 28, 2026: when NIH announced the new federal ban policy [5].

What Happened Next

NIH shut the door. Two days later, NIH said it “will not accept competitive applications for grants and cooperative agreements submitted for due dates after today” for dangerous gain-of-function research, and that it “intends to suspend ongoing funding.” [4]

On July 28, 2026, NIH announced a new government-wide policy under the order. “The new Policy explicitly prohibits any federal support for DGOF research, as defined therein, as well as research conducted in or involving countries or entities of concern,” NIH said [5].

“All research activities identified as potential dangerous gain-of-function research per NOT-OD-25-127 and NOT-OD-25-112 remain paused until NIH specific implementation requirements are established,” NIH said [5].

For Trump receiving the MAHA report with Kennedy, Makary and Bhattacharya, see HYGO News’ page on May 22, 2025. For Trump’s drug-pricing order a week later, see the page on May 12, 2025.