COVID-19 origins investigation faced early 'institutional shortcomings': former intelligence official

Matthew Pottinger has stressed the need to understand the origins of the coronavirus, citing "institutional failures," while resisting calls to blame former President Donald Trump for a slowdown in fact-finding.

"Even if we come up short with a definitive answer, what we're going to have is a foundation for additional revelations to come out from scientists around the world who are now going to be emboldened because they know that this is a priority of the United States," Pottinger told NBC "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd. "Scientists who previously were frightened of being canceled by the Twitter mob are going to contribute to this endeavor." Pottinger stressed the value of understanding the origins of the virus, arguing that such knowledge would help combat emerging variants – as well as cutting off "the next pandemic."  Todd pressed Pottinger on whether "irrational" attacks on China by Trump contributed to a possible "slowdown" in fact-finding by intelligence agency, but Pottinger instead pointed to "institutional shortcoming."