Republicans were wrong when they criticized Biden for not shooting down the Chinese spy balloon sooner. It turns out that Biden issued the order on Wednesday and the military is waiting until it’s safe.
Video:
Biden says he told Pentagon to shoot down #ChineseSpyBalloon Wednesday, “I told them to shoot it…on Wednesday. They told me, let’s wait until it’s a safe play to do it.” pic.twitter.com/1Sy6iQ0ess
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 4, 2023
Biden said, “When I was informed about the balloon on Wednesday, I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down as soon as possible on Wednesday. They decided it was a good time to do it, as they could get the water within a 12-mile radius without harming anyone on the ground. They successfully pulled it off, and I want to congratulate our aviators who did it, and we’ll report more on this in a little while.
“I told them to shoot it down,” the president said when asked by reporters if he had ordered the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon.
President Biden is making it clear that he will not mess with China. This is a very important message to send to the Chinese and other rivals and adversaries that this president will defend the nation.
Republicans are complaining that Biden should have shot down the balloon sooner, but the smart and safer thing to do is to wait until falling debris no longer poses a threat to life or property.
Biden handled it the right way, and all the complaints Republicans have been making for the past two days fell because the president made a quick decision.
Jason is the managing editor. He is a member of the White House Press Pool and a Congressional Correspondent for PoliticoUSA. Jason holds a Masters in Political Science. Her graduate work focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
