During an appearance at Newsmax TV's "Rob Schmitt Tonight," subcommittee member Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) said that the emails said that suspicions were heightened due to the fact that scientists in Wuhan University (WHU) are known to have been "working on gain-of-function experiments to determine the molecular mechanisms associated with bat viruses adapting to human infection, and the outbreak originated in Wuhan."

McCormick pointed out that Fauci absolutely knew what was going on. "As a matter of fact, several scientists were discussing this and agreeing with each other that it made no sense that it came from a natural selection process," the congressman said adding that it is bizarre that the retired health authority moved away from the lab leak theory because, in his view, the lab leak theory has gotten more likely as more evidence has come to light.

But the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director decided "to mislead the public on purpose."