Democrats Accuse Expert Witness at COVID Origin Hearing of Racist Views

Former New York Times editor and author Nicholas Wade testifies to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 08, 2023. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Considered one of the most outspoken authorities exploring the possibility that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak in China, British author and science journalist Nicholas Wade was called by Republicans to testify at the initial Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing on March 8.

His presence drew the ire of several Democrats—including Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-N.M.), the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat—who accused Wade of having racist views that will hurt “the credibility of this hearing.”