China’s response to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was riddled with secrecy, misinformation, and suppression of truth. Sen. Tom Cotton was one of the first to call out the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for its deception, only to face backlash from both Beijing and American elites.
Key Facts:
- China lied about the virus from day one – They claimed it was under control while enforcing extreme lockdowns, hoarding medical supplies, and burning bodies in crematoriums.
- The travel ban was necessary – Cotton pushed for an early ban on travel from China, which was initially criticized but later implemented by the Trump administration.
- COVID-19 likely came from a Wuhan lab – He was the first national leader to suggest this, despite media backlash. U.S. intelligence agencies now support this theory.
- China’s American defenders are a problem – From politicians to media, many U.S. elites silenced criticism of the CCP instead of holding it accountable.
- China should have faced consequences – Cotton argued China must pay for its deception, yet it continues to escape accountability.
- Naming viruses by location is standard practice – Despite criticism, names like “West Nile virus” and “Ebola” prove this has always been common.
- The CCP cannot be trusted – Cotton saw that China’s pattern of secrecy and misinformation was nothing new, but part of a larger strategy.
The Rest of The Story:
When COVID-19 first emerged, China insisted it had the outbreak under control.
But its actions told a different story: entire cities were locked down, medical supplies were stockpiled, and the government silenced whistleblowers.
Cotton immediately suspected China was lying.
He called for a travel ban from China—something Beijing had already imposed on its own citizens—but was accused of fearmongering.
When he suggested the virus may have leaked from a Wuhan lab, media outlets and politicians dismissed it as a “conspiracy theory.”
Years later, intelligence agencies, including the FBI and Department of Energy, admitted Cotton’s instincts were correct.
Meanwhile, China’s defenders in the U.S. government, media, and business world worked to downplay Beijing’s role.
They attacked those who questioned the CCP, proving Cotton’s point: China doesn’t just lie—it has a network of enablers in America.
Most of Hollywood has been compromised by China.
I explain just how bad this is in Seven Things You Can't Say about China. https://t.co/AYP9sWnSEl
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) February 17, 2025
Commentary:
Sen. Cotton understood a critical truth: lying is a core strategy of the Chinese Communist Party.
From the initial outbreak to the ongoing cover-ups, China’s deception cost lives.
It concealed the virus, denied the lab-leak theory, and manipulated international organizations like the WHO to control the narrative.
Equally troubling was how many Americans leaped to China’s defense.
Cotton’s push for a travel ban was attacked as “xenophobic,” even as China itself banned travel from Wuhan.
The media branded the lab-leak theory as a “fringe conspiracy,” only to quietly reverse course when evidence became undeniable.
This pattern of apologizing for China isn’t an accident—it’s a systemic problem in U.S. politics, business, and culture.
Cotton was also right that China should face consequences.
The CCP’s actions led to global devastation, yet it has not been held accountable.
I said from the very beginning that Covid probably came from the Wuhan labs.
The important thing now is that we have to make China pay for unleashing this plague on the world. pic.twitter.com/FKOf8ZOczb
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 26, 2025
The U.S. and its allies must stop pretending China can be trusted.
Cutting economic ties, strengthening national security, and holding Beijing responsible should be top priorities.
If it were up to me, China would be isolated from the world.
The CCP’s dishonesty and disregard for human life make it too dangerous to engage with.
Every future decision should consider Cotton’s core truth: China lies, always.
The Bottom Line:
Sen. Tom Cotton’s warnings about China were dismissed, ridiculed, and attacked—but he was right.
From the lab-leak theory to the need for a travel ban, his instincts proved correct time and again.
The real question is whether America will learn from this or continue letting China deceive and manipulate.
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