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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told "Axios on HBO" that there isn't yet enough information to determine whether or not the coronavirus outbreak resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab.
What he's saying: "I'm not ruling out that it could be a lab accident, and some experts have not ruled it out either," said Rubio. "Though I can't prove it and no one can because we don't have enough information to disprove it or prove it."
The backstory: Rubio expressed far less certainty than some top U.S. officials have in recent statements.
- President Trump said on April 30 that he has a "high degree of confidence" that the outbreak originated in a lab accident in China.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on May 3 that there was "enormous evidence" that a lab accident was to blame for the epidemic.
Why it matters: U.S. allies with access to shared intelligence have said it is "highly unlikely" that a lab accident was the cause, fueling concern that the U.S. government might be pushing the theory for geopolitical reasons.
- Based on scientific evidence, the leading theory is still that the virus originated in a bat and spread to humans via an intermediary animal.
Go deeper: U.S. statements on coronavirus origins diverge from allies