Trump Speaks Out for First Time on Russian Plague: ‘We’re Looking at it Very Strongly’

President Donald Trump addressed fears coming out of Russia that a biolab may have leaked a strain of the plague when he asked to comment on the incident by a reporter outside of the White House on Monday.

Local officials reported last week that a worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East died from a “pneumonia of undetermined” origin. Since then, at least one hospital in the region is under quarantine and some 200 people are under medical observation, reported NBC News on Monday.

“What is the U.S. going to do about the risk of pneumonic plague coming from Russia?” asked a reporter.

“Well, we’re looking at it very strongly. We just heard about it. And they call it pneumonia,” Trump replied, adding:

And pneumonia, you know, years ago, you could treat pneumonia easier. The microbes and the germs have gotten stronger disproportionately. But we’ll help them. We’ll help as much as we can.

News of the plague potentially being unleashed in Russia led to calls to quickly shut down air travel from Russia.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) wrote on X Sunday, “This is not a joke. The Russian biological war research should have us all concerned and stopping ALL flight from Russia, and all Russians from entry.”

“The longer this goes on the more countries we will have to stop flight from. FYI: the Russians were working on a plague that is resistant to antibiotics,” he added.

Watch the clip above via Newsmax.

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