We know that the origin of COVID 19 was likely from gain of function research. Why wouldn't they do it again?

I like to think that they won't. Because they barely managed to get away with it this time, when no one knew of a previous thing (so they can plead ignorance), and there wasn't as much of a laser-like focus on their activities.

It would take serious chutzpah to start pulling the crap again in the full light of the post-Covid skepticism about the establishment.

A pandemic declaration is now seen as a cheat code to destroy individual civil liberties.

And same here, given all that is coming out, I like to think that people will be resisting it more the next time. Of course, people are very fickle, and all it takes is telling them "YOUR GRANDFATHER IS GOING TO DIE UNLESS YOU GIVE US ABSOLUTE POWER" to convince them that no, this time destroying liberties will be good.