conclusion shopping

This is a term used by spy agencies to describe the process in which politicians jump to a conclusion that they want and then ask the agencies to find the evidence for it.  The correct approach is to collect evidence and then draw conclusions from it. In this case the conclusion shopper is Trump wanting to believe that the SARS-COVID-2 virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan where it was part of a research program into viruses that could cross from animals to humans. Possibly it was being developed as a bioweapon.  This is what Trump wants the agencies to prove. The agencies say there is no evidence to support this theory and the matter is more a question for the scientists (who have already said the virus is neither man-made nor lab-modified) than for the information gatherers.  

 The term conclusion shopping is not in general currency but it really ought to be, given that so many of us indulge in it from time to time. We don’t necessarily call in spy agencies to tell us that we are right but we do selectively collect evidence ourselves to support our belief or decision, naturally suppressing those unfortunate facts that don’t fit in with our theory.