Trump Bans Funding for Gain-of-Function Research in China, Other Countries

The U.S. government has previously funded gain-of-function research in China.

President Donald Trump speaks to the media while signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on May 5, 2025. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump on May 5 banned federal funding for gain-of-function research in some countries, including China, just weeks after his administration said that COVID-19 likely came from a Chinese laboratory that received U.S. funding.

“It’s a big deal,” Trump said in the Oval Office while signing the executive order.