Recently, senior Republican Senator and China hawk Tom Cotton revealed in an interview with Fox News that he faced strong opposition and suppression from the Chinese authorities, as well as politicians and elites within the United States, for his criticisms of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cotton warned that the CCP’s infiltration into the United States has triggered fear and silence throughout the country.
Reflecting on his assertion in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 that the virus may have originated from a lab leak in Wuhan, China, Cotton faced criticism from supporters of the CCP and some American political figures and media.
“I had concluded in the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan, ‘The CCP is lying again’,” Cotton stated. He analyzed that at the time, while the CCP reported to the World Health Organization that the outbreak was under control, the Chinese government was implementing strict lockdowns, building makeshift hospitals, stockpiling masks, gloves, and other protective equipment. “I relied on common sense, not scientific knowledge or classified information, to make an early assessment of the Wuhan coronavirus,” he said.
Cotton emphasized, “I never take the CCP’s statements at face value, and when their actions contradict their words, and they start to cover up crucial information about the outbreak, I know they have ulterior motives.”
When Cotton strongly suggested common-sense measures like banning travel from China to the U.S., he faced strong opposition from figures like Anthony Fauci, who was then the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and various institutions.
Cotton highlighted, “especially in the media, 27 scientists from reputable medical journals such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and The Lancet condemned the lab leak hypothesis as a ‘conspiracy theory’.”
By 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy, FBI, and former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) all announced their suspicions that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a lab.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released a statement on January 25 of this year supporting the theory that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from an accidental leak at the Wuhan lab.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated in an interview with Breitbart News that the U.S. intelligence, scientific community, and common sense all indicate that the origin of the COVID-19 virus was the Wuhan Institute of Virology leak.
As a senator who advocated for uncovering the truth about the pandemic and holding the CCP accountable, Cotton was sanctioned by the CCP in August 2020. However, Cotton said, “I still consider these sanctions as badges of honor.”
Cotton solemnly pointed out, “Firstly, the CCP constantly and continuously lies, which is not surprising”; “Secondly, Communist China relies on a plethora of American defenders to speak on its behalf, these defenders of the CCP are everywhere: in business, politics, media, Hollywood, professional sports, universities, and more”; “Thirdly, and most worrisome, they not only defend China (the CCP), they also attack and attempt to silence critics.”
He added, “And they often succeed. Despite over three-quarters of Americans holding negative views on China, they still frequently do not hear a complete narrative about CCP’s crimes and evils.”
Cotton also noted that the CCP’s infiltration into the United States has invoked fear and silence across the country, “China (the CCP) has silenced many elite individuals, celebrities, athletes, and politicians in America. They fear losing their jobs, contracts, investors, status, or even worse, opting to remain silent.” He expressed that this fear even extends to ordinary citizens.