RESTON, VA -- On Tuesday afternoon, the Media Research Center released an open letter to President Donald Trump on behalf of over 40 leaders in the conservative movement demanding "a more formal investigation to uncover the truth" behind the actions of the Chinese government following the rise of the coronavirus from Wuhan.
The letter blasted the behavior of the communist China government for having engaged in "outright and extreme politicization of this horrible disease is outrageous, unacceptable, and dangerous."
Later, the letter added: "None of this is being reported as it ought to be in American media. Instead, the media are creating panic and blaming your administration. All of this could have been prevented if the Chinese government had merely exercised its responsibility in containing this disease and sharing more information sooner."
The open letter is provided below in full:
March 17, 2020
President Donald Trump
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
We represent virtually the entirety of the conservative movement but we believe we speak for hundreds of millions in the country and around the world when we ask you to officially investigate the deadly Coronavirus. The world needs to know the details behind the spread of this deadly virus so everyone understands exactly how this was started. The world deserves to know who was responsible so future pandemics of this nature can be prevented.
As we are sure you are aware, the Chinese government has done everything in its power to blame the United States for the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian placed the responsibility on the United States: “When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!”
A few days later, Lin Songtian, China's ambassador to South Africa, said: "Although the epidemic first broke out in China, it did not necessarily mean that the virus is originated from China, let alone 'made in China.'"
These statements are astonishing - but predictable... It's impossible for us to know the true origin of this virus in China because China has refused to share information. As Senator Tom Cotton has correctly pointed out, there are several possible scenarios about the origin of the Wuhan Coronavirus. We do know that Chinese secrecy and lies have made the crisis far worse.
China’s outright and extreme politicization of this horrible disease is outrageous, unacceptable, and dangerous. That politicization has already spread panic across the world. The Chinese-led hysteria has roiled markets, and disrupted everyday life for millions of Americans and citizens of other countries around the world.
As your National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien rightly pointed out, “Unfortunately, rather than using best practices, this outbreak in Wuhan was covered up,’ ‘There’s lots of open-source reporting from China, from Chinese nationals, that the doctors involved were either silenced or put in isolation, or that sort of thing, so that the word of this virus could not get out. It probably cost the world community two months.’”
And consider the well-known case of Dr. Li Wenliang, the young Chinese doctor who bravely shared his concerns on December 31, 2019, with a group of colleagues about an unidentified virus with SARS-like symptoms that his patients were exhibiting. As a result of his due diligence, Chinese authorities accused him of spreading “false information” and that he had “gravely disturbed [the] social order.”
None of this is being reported as it ought to be in American media. Instead, the media are creating panic and blaming your administration. All of this could have been prevented if the Chinese government had merely exercised its responsibility in containing this disease and sharing more information sooner.
We therefore respectfully request you consider launching a more formal investigation to uncover the truth. The first step in making sure this never happens again is finding out what happened in the first place.
Respectfully,
L. Brent Bozell
Founder and President
Media Research Center
Co-signers:
Kassy DillonFounder and President
Lone Conservative
Tricia Erickson
President
Angel Pictures & Publicity, Inc.
Paul Gessing
President
Rio Grande Foundation
Craig Shirley
Reagan Biographer and Presidential Historian
James L. Martin
Founder/Chairman
60 Plus Association
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis
President
60 Plus Association
Adam Brandon
President
FreedomWorks
Charlie Copeland
President
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Rick Manning
President
Americans for Limited Government
Eunie Smith
President
Eagle Forum
Christie-Lee McNally
President
Raven Strategies
Rod D. Martin
Founder & CEO
The Martin Organization, Inc.
Christina Murphy Lusk
Campaign for the American Future
Guillermo J. Aragon
Chief Financial Officer
Martin Imaging, Inc.
Benjamin Nieuwsma
Founder and CEO
Navigo
Shawn A. Mitchell
Former National Chaplain
National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA)
Gavin Wax
President
New York Young Republican Club
C. Preston Noell III
President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.
Terry Schilling
Executive Director
American Principles Project
Jon Schweppe
Director of Policy and Government Affairs
American Principles Project
Floyd Brown
Publisher
Western Journal
Kevin Freeman
Founder
NSIC Institute
Lady Brigitte Gabriel
Founder & Chairman
ACT For America
Gary Bauer
President
American Values
Mark J. Fitzgibbons
President of Corporate Affairs
American Target Advertising, Inc.
Richard A, Viguerie
Chairman
ConservativeHQ.com
Dr. Ted Baehr
Founder and Chairman
Christian Film & Television Commission
Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for Military Readiness
Justin Danhof
General Counsel
National Center for Public Policy Research
Mat Staver, Esq.
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel
Ryan Williams
President
The Claremont Institute
Jonathan M. Alexandre, Esq.
Senior Counsel for Governmental Affairs
Liberty Counsel Action
David Kupelian
Vice President and Managing Editor
WND.com
Amy Kremer
Chairman
Women for America First
Ron Robinson
President
Young America’s Foundation
Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West (US Army, Retired)
Member, 112th US Congress
Senior Fellow, Media Research Center
Jim DeMint
Chairman
Conservative Partnership Institute
Fmr. Senator (R-S.C.)
Erick Erickson
Editor
The Resurgent
Samuel Rodriguez
New Season Lead Pastor
NHCLC President
Author of You Are Next!
Executive Producer Breakthrough The Movie
William Walton
President
Council for National Policy
