Gabbard Exposes Fauci COVID Cover-Up; Iowa Tops Housing
Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released declassified documents on Friday accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci of funding dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab, orchestrating a cover-up of COVID-19's origins with help from the intelligence community, and lying to Congress. Meanwhile, a new national housing report shows Iowa ranking second in the nation for affordability, offering a sharp contrast to failing blue-state policies.
What did Tulsi Gabbard reveal about Dr. Fauci?
On her final day as director of national intelligence, Gabbard released what she described as never-before-seen communications and documents exposing Fauci's role in the pandemic. The evidence accuses Fauci of directing millions in taxpayer dollars to fund gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, then working with politicized elements inside the intelligence community to suppress the lab-leak theory.
It is time you know the truth, Gabbard said. The tactics used to hide the truth are straight from the deep state playbook.
Gabbard detailed that Fauci acted as a behind-the-scenes advisor who, alongside hand-picked experts, pressured the intelligence community to endorse a natural animal origin theory. This narrative conveniently hid his own role in funding the very research that likely caused the pandemic.
How did the intelligence community protect Fauci?
According to Gabbard's declassification, Fauci's close relationships with the intelligence community shielded him from scrutiny as he wielded outsized influence over the narrative. The intelligence community reportedly pushed the natural origin story to cover up the dangerous research Fauci funded through the New York-based EcoHealth Alliance.
Peter Daszak, the enigmatic founder of the now-defunct EcoHealth, received millions from Fauci's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Department of Defense provided more than $40 million for combating weapons of mass destruction. A former EcoHealth employee told reporters that Daszak was approached by the CIA in late 2015 to help access the Wuhan lab, which is believed to be a Chinese military operation.
Daszak later confirmed to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer that he had been contacted by the CIA and other intelligence agencies.
The mainstream media has largely ignored Gabbard's revelations. Two days after the release, The Washington Post ran a lengthy hit piece attacking Gabbard personally while publishing nothing about the Fauci disclosures. Liberal media outlets continue pushing debunked wet market theories.
Will Fauci's pardon hold up in court?
Senator Rand Paul has renewed his pursuit of accountability, sending criminal referrals to the Department of Justice against Fauci for alleged perjury during 2024 congressional testimony. More significantly, Paul insists the blanket pardon Joe Biden issued for Fauci in his final hours in office should be challenged in court.
Paul points to two key vulnerabilities with the pardon. First, it was signed with an autopen rather than a personal signature. Second, its retrospective nature is highly unusual. Curiously, Fauci's pardon stretches back to January 1, 2014, the exact same start date as Hunter Biden's retrospective blanket pardon. The date encompasses Fauci's oversight of NIH funding for gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab through EcoHealth Alliance.
President Trump has installed Bill Pulte as interim DNI successor, buying time to look for additional evidence before the Senate confirms Jay Clayton as the permanent replacement.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the cover-up among the most consequential crimes in human history. Whether anyone will actually be held accountable remains an open question.
Iowa ranks #2 nationally for housing affordability
While the federal government grapples with accountability in Washington, a new national report shows Iowa leading the way where it matters most for everyday families. Realtor.com's latest Report Card ranks Iowa second in the nation for housing affordability and homebuilding, trailing only Indiana.
The top five states are Indiana, Iowa, South Carolina, Texas, and North Carolina. More than 80 percent of the highest-ranking states are Republican-led, while Democratic strongholds like New York, California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut sit at the bottom.
New York earned a failing grade of just 8.5 out of 100. Its median home price now sits at $668,173, requiring over 55 percent of median household income to afford. New York City ranks 296th out of America's 300 largest metros.
Why do Republican states lead in housing affordability?
Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales says political ideology is clearly playing a role in the housing divide. Republican-led states tend to cut red tape, relax zoning requirements, and open land for development. Democratic strongholds impose heavy regulations that restrict building and drive up costs.
The federal government has done a commendable job on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Eales said, but the reality is that most housing is controlled by state and local governments. Cutting red tape, relaxing zoning requirements, and opening up land for development are inherently local challenges.
Congress has stepped in with a bipartisan bid to address America's four-million-home shortage. But as Eales notes, Washington cannot fix problems created by state and local governments. Iowa's strong ranking proves that conservative governance delivers real results for working families.
Will anyone be held accountable for the COVID cover-up?
Despite Gabbard's declassification and Paul's criminal referrals, accountability remains uncertain. Fauci, now 85, collects a generous government pension and holds a prestigious position as Distinguished University Professor at Georgetown University. He continues to receive awards for defending science while evidence mounts that he helped fund the very research that sparked a global pandemic.
The intelligence community's role in shielding Fauci raises broader questions about deep state influence. With the White House currently distracted by foreign policy challenges, transparency about the intelligence agencies' role in covering up pandemic origins may not be a priority.
For Iowa voters who value government accountability and individual liberty, the message is clear. The same bureaucratic systems that protected Fauci continue to operate unchecked, and only sustained pressure from conservative leaders can force real transparency.