Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Controversial Documents on Fauci and COVID-19 Origins

Tulsi Gabbard, the outgoing Director of National Intelligence, has released documents alleging Dr. Anthony Fauci's significant involvement in shaping the narrative around COVID-19's origins and overseeing funding for research in Wuhan. These disclosures, part of a year-long declassification review, raise questions about the integrity of intelligence assessments during the pandemic. Gabbard claims that senior officials manipulated information and suppressed dissenting views. The documents suggest Fauci's close ties with intelligence officials influenced the official stance on the virus's origins. This release is poised to reignite debates over pandemic policymaking and the origins of COVID-19, as lawmakers and analysts prepare to scrutinize thousands of pages of newly revealed information.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 19, 2026, 10:47 IST

Gabbard's Final Act as DNI

On Thursday, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, disclosed what she claims are previously unreleased communications and intelligence documents. These records suggest that Dr. Anthony Fauci played a pivotal role in shaping the official narrative regarding the origins of COVID-19 while overseeing federal funding related to coronavirus research in Wuhan, China. This release is part of Gabbard's concluding actions before departing from her position and is described by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as the culmination of a year-long declassification review.

The documents reportedly include internal communications, whistleblower testimonies, and intelligence records that raise concerns about how the U.S. government evaluated the pandemic's origins and whether dissenting opinions were ignored during this evaluation process.

Today, on my final day as Director of National Intelligence, I’m releasing never-before-seen communications and documents exposing how Dr. Fauci provided millions in US taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab, worked with politicized elements… pic.twitter.com/ZMdliW4zyS
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) June 19, 2026

In her statement accompanying the release, Gabbard emphasized that the American public deserves transparency regarding the decisions made during the pandemic. She accused senior officials of manipulating intelligence assessments, suppressing alternative viewpoints, and hiding information related to gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Claims from the Newly Released Documents

What The Newly Released Documents Claim

The ODNI's press release indicates that the newly revealed materials imply that Fauci, during his tenure as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), authorized funding for coronavirus research conducted through programs linked to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The documents further allege that Fauci had close ties with intelligence officials and scientists whose perspectives influenced the official assessments regarding COVID-19's origins. These interactions reportedly led to intelligence products that favored a natural-origin explanation for the virus while minimizing the likelihood of a laboratory-related incident.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence also claims that some intelligence analysts who questioned the prevailing conclusions faced professional pressure or retaliation. Whistleblower accounts cited by the agency suggest that analysts advocating for a more thorough consideration of the lab-leak hypothesis were discouraged from pursuing those assessments.

Fauci's Testimony Under Scrutiny

DNI Accuses Fauci Of Misleading Congress

One of the most critical allegations in the release pertains to Fauci's testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2024. Gabbard's office asserts that correspondence within the newly released records contradicts Fauci's sworn statements regarding his interactions with intelligence agencies.

The DNI's office claims that the documents reveal Fauci's involvement in discussions with intelligence officials about viral research and pandemic-related matters. Gabbard contends that these records challenge Fauci's previous assertion that he was unaware of such discussions concerning COVID-19.

These allegations have yet to be independently verified, and no court or official body has ruled on the claims made in the document release. Fauci has consistently denied any allegations of attempting to conceal information regarding the pandemic's origins and has defended his actions throughout the public health crisis.

This release is expected to reignite scrutiny of pandemic-era policymaking and the ongoing debate about the origins of COVID-19. While some intelligence agencies have deemed a laboratory accident plausible, others maintain that a natural-origin scenario remains a credible explanation. A definitive consensus has yet to be achieved.

With thousands of pages set to be reviewed by lawmakers, researchers, and intelligence analysts in the coming days, Gabbard's document release could prove to be one of the most significant disclosures in the ongoing political and scientific discourse surrounding the origins of the pandemic.