What I don't get is why a lab leak or not makes that big a difference to anyone

[ProfessorGAC]

45. So We Remember T***p's Reason

This "business genius" cut that grant because "...we can't spend money on people just in case something happens..."
Big companies have resources, all the time, who are doing non-mission-critical work, but are available as triage or firefighters/troubleshooters, should something big come up.
It's a common practice in major industry, especially in manufacturing.
But, since T***p knows nothing about business, he thought cutting these pennies had value.