Pompeo says 'ample evidence' suggests coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday "ample evidence" suggests COVID-19 came from virology lab in Wuhan, China, and that the Chinese Communist Party must still be held accountable for what he considers a "cover-up" from the world.

In an exclusive interview with Just the New's "The Water Cooler," Pompeo argued the Chinese government has prevented anyone from knowing the origins of the virus that started spreading around the world in late 2019.

Chinese officials originally said the virus started when a person bought a bat a a wet market in Wuhan and ate it. The officials in recent weeks also limited access to the Wuhan Institute ofVirology to a team of World Health Organization researchers.

Considering the lab's history of containment issues, China must be held more accountable for letting spread a virus that has killed more than 2 million worldwide, Pompeo also said. 

"There's ample evidence and a cover up that probably is worse than the initial problem set inside the lab," he told show host David Brody. "The Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for denying world access to make sure we understand how this happened so that we can prevent something like this from ever happening again."

Pompeo, President Trump's top diplomat, also said the new Biden administration, which has restarted WHO funding from the U.S., has a "different set of priorities" than the Trump administration's "America First" focus. 

"God's watching over us," Pompeo said, adding that when bold and proud voices speak out "America will continue to be the greatest nation in the history of civilization."