What’s the most likely explanation for the origin of COVID-19? Was it natural, perhaps jumping from bats to humans? Or was it leaked from a Wuhan lab in China that was specifically doing research on coronaviruses? Well, after months of investigation, the answer from the U.S. intelligence community is: “Who knows,” followed by the assertion, “and no one will ever really know.”

Of course, the reason for this “answer” has everything to do with Joe Biden not wanting to upset the apple cart with China. If one learns anything from Biden’s Afghanistan debacle, it’s that he will do nothing when the enemy resists, whether it’s the Taliban refusing to negotiate past the August 31 deadline to free Americans caught behind enemy lines, or whether it’s the Chinese Communist Party, which has stonewalled any legitimate investigation into COVID.

As Brooking Institution senior fellow Thomas Wright contends, “It’s basically impossible to have a proper investigation if one of the main parties doesn’t want to cooperate.” But isn’t that precisely why the U.S. — or any nation for that matter — has an intelligence community? For gathering sensitive information from uncooperative governments and sources? That’s why the intel community’s explanation and shoulder shrug over COVID’s origin is simply unacceptable and not even remotely believable.

Clearly, Biden has an agenda, which is to avoid any conclusion that would upset Beijing. The problem is there’s enough information publicly available to reasonably conclude that the Wuhan lab leak theory is the most likely explanation for COVID’s genesis. Suggesting otherwise smacks of political considerations, not scientific analysis.

If it is indeed the case that members of the intel community are essentially split over the data, then why not simply extend the investigation beyond the arbitrary 90 days that Biden allocated for investigation? If it is known that China is sitting on and hiding data, why not continue efforts to gather it before simply offering the American public an Oh well, we tried answer? It’s either more incompetence from one of the most incompetent administrations in American history, or it’s a compromised president bowing to the ChiComs.