The Korean American woman vying for a Texas House seat is ready to take on the Chinese Communist Party

HOGAN ANNOUNCES WORKGROUP TO COUNTER ANTI-ASIAN HATE INCIDENTS

“I was called a racist for saying that the Chinese Communist Party originated the coronavirus in China, that the Chinese Communist Party steals intellectual property, and the Chinese Communist Party has certainly committed genocide with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang,” Kim said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.

Kim, 42, announced her bid in March. In recent weeks, she garnered national attention for comments she has made about not wanting Chinese immigrants in the United States.

Kim sued the Texas Tribune in a $10 million defamation lawsuit after the nonprofit outlet labeled her comments racist. Kim also lost the endorsements of California Reps. Young Kim and Michelle Steele, the first two Korean American Republicans to serve in Congress, who said they could no longer support Kim in “good conscience.”

But Kim isn’t backing down. The candidate says she believes she was clear that she didn’t want anyone tied to the Chinese government to come to the U.S. rather than Chinese immigrants.

“I do not want foreign nationals associated with the CCP to come to the United States and steal our intellectual property,” Kim said. “I am the child of immigrants. My country itself, my parents’ homeland, they fought a bloody war over communism, why wouldn’t I welcome people who flee the communist regime of the CCP? I absolutely, unequivocally welcome any Chinese immigrant trying to flee the CCP.”

In April, U.S. intelligence officials issued two reports highlighting the actions taken by the Chinese government to grow its global influence as U.S. and Chinese tensions remain high.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a threat assessment describing the extent of China’s military and its economic, technological, and diplomatic capabilities. A separate report from the National Intelligence Council on global trends also laid out long-term challenges posed by China’s rise.

“The Chinese Communist Party will continue its whole-of-government efforts to spread China’s influence, undercut that of the United States, drive wedges between Washington and its allies and partners, and foster new international norms that favor the authoritarian Chinese system,” the DNI’s annual threat assessment read.

A number of Republicans have also called for a boycott against the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, accusing the government of poorly handling the coronavirus pandemic and committing human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other religious minorities. Beijing has denied all allegations of abuse.

Kim is 1 of 23 candidates running ahead of the May 1 special election to replace the late Republican Rep. Ron Wright, who died in February. There are 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, one Libertarian, and one independent in the mix to compete for the seat that has been held by the GOP for decades.

Kim, who proudly touts her Korean American roots, acknowledged the recent wave of reported hate crimes against Asian Americans across the country as the coronavirus gripped the country and the world. The first cases of COVID-19 were first identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

Throughout 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans spiked 150%, and there are those who blame, in part, the rhetoric of high-profile Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who insisted on calling COVID-19 the “China virus,” for an increase in anti-Asian American sentiment.

Kim disagrees.

“Geography is not racist,” she said. “If a virus is geographically originating in China, and you call it a ‘China virus,’ that is geography. That has nothing to do with the color of your skin.”

Kim is also critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the border, which is seeing an escalation in unaccompanied minors and migrant families attempting illegal crossings.

She urged Vice President Kamala Harris to visit the southern border immediately, an issue Kim says is close to her, being from Texas. Harris was tasked by President Joe Biden in March to lead the diplomatic discussions between Mexico and Central American countries, regarding the high rate of migrants trying to enter the U.S.

“I think it’s pretty shocking that Vice President Harris said she was in charge of it and she still hasn’t gone to the border,” Kim said. “The fact that she is intentionally choosing not to go to the border shows that she doesn’t actually care about it.”

Harris has said visiting the border would be left to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The vice president recently said she does plan to visit countries such as Mexico and Guatemala.

In response to Biden’s executive actions on gun control following a series of shootings in the past month, Kim penned a letter to the president calling his actions “shameful” and “a disgrace” against law-abiding gun owners.

Biden is pushing efforts to crack down on so-called “ghost guns,” untraceable firearms assembled from parts purchased online or partly assembled through the use of 3D printers, and directed his Justice Department to publish model “red flag” legislation. Red flag laws, enacted in some form in 19 states and Washington, D.C., would allow courts to remove guns temporarily from people deemed dangerous by a judge.

Kim also disputes there’s a growing schism within the Republican Party between those who supported Trump and those who distanced themselves. The candidate, who served as an assistant secretary for the U.S. Small Business Administration from July 2020 to January 2021, believes the former president still has a strong grasp on the party.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

One big question that remains is whether Kim can snag an endorsement from Trump.

“He is the most powerful voice in the Republican Party,” Kim said. “If he endorsed me, I would win outright.”