Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is one of the latest Republicans to criticize President Joe Biden‘s handling of the Chinese spy balloon, saying that the administration “lacks urgency.”
The Chinese spy balloon, which entered the radar of the United States on Jan. 28, was shot down on Saturday while it was off the coast of South Carolina. Chinese officials claimed the balloon, which was not armed, was blown off course while gathering meteorological information.
US SHOOTS DOWN CHINESE SPY BALLOON
Pentagon officials said the balloon first entered U.S. airspace by the Alaskan Aleutian Islands, through Canada, and eventually into Montana, something Turner said should never have happened.
“There’s no excuses here,” Turner said. “This should have been taken down before it entered U.S. airspace when it was over Alaska.”
WATCH: House Intel Chair @RepMikeTurner (R-Ohio) says the Biden admin. “lacks urgency” after it waited several days to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon.
“There’s no excuses here. … This should have been taken down before it entered U.S. airspace when it was over Alaska.” pic.twitter.com/cjHkfg0o4T
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 5, 2023
Turner said Biden allowed the balloon to cross over the U.S.’s “most sensitive sites.” He said, looking at the path of travel, he believes China was attempting to gather data on how to defeat “command and control of U.S. nuclear weapons and missile defense systems.”
“This is not an ability to say that this is a crisis that was handled,” Turner said. “This is a crisis that has developed because of this president, during his administration — allowing China to do a similar act before, not responding, and then clearly, in this one, not seeing the urgency of what was unfolding … I think this administration lacks urgency.”
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Turner’s comments follow criticism from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Greene said that former President Donald Trump would have “never allowed” the balloon to cross into U.S. territory.
Previous reports and Pentagon officials have said that Chinese balloons were discovered crossing over the U.S. during Trump’s administration at least three times.
