Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Federal Funding for Dangerous Gain-of-Function Research
President Donald Trump has officially banned all federal funding for gain-of-function research, marking a major step toward preventing another lab-related public health catastrophe. The executive order shuts down any taxpayer dollars being used to fund experiments that enhance the potency or transmissibility of viruses — research many experts believe may have played a role in the COVID-19 outbreak.
The ban halts current and future projects involving high-risk pathogens and toxins until stringent new safety protocols are established. Trump’s order sends a clear message: America will no longer bankroll reckless experiments that jeopardize public safety.
The executive action also blocks federal funding for gain-of-function work in countries with poor oversight, including China and Iran. Trump specifically cited facilities like the Wuhan Institute of Virology — widely suspected of having ties to the origins of the coronavirus — as examples of the dangers posed when these experiments are conducted in secretive or loosely regulated environments.
According to the White House, the new policy is designed to “drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents” and ensure the United States leads by example in preventing biosecurity threats. The Office of Science and Technology Policy, along with the national security adviser, has been tasked with creating a comprehensive set of standards to govern all pathogen research moving forward.
Trump’s action reflects growing bipartisan concern over gain-of-function studies, which involve manipulating viruses to make them more infectious under the guise of pandemic preparedness. Critics argue that the risks far outweigh the benefits, especially when the research is outsourced to foreign regimes with little transparency.
By taking this decisive step, Trump is following through on a long-standing promise to put America’s safety first and hold rogue actors accountable. With this order, the administration is drawing a clear line: no more taxpayer money for dangerous science that could unleash the next global crisis.