After claiming reporting about a planned Chinese spy base in Cuba was "inaccurate," National Security Counsel Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby admitted Monday that the Chinese Communist Party does indeed have a foothold in the country and is planning on using the territory to target the United States.
NOW — John Kirby says the secret Chinese spy facility in Cuba "is not a new development." https://t.co/MqxPp9texL pic.twitter.com/xEJWjGwPhE
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 12, 2023
Last week Kirby told MSNBC the reporting wasn't accurate and downplayed ongoing spying threats from China. Today at the White House, he changed his tune.
MSNBC: "China and Cuba have now reached a secret agreement...for China to establish an electronic facility...to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S."
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 8, 2023
KIRBY: "It's not accurate."
MSNBC: "You're saying it's not accurate that they're planning this?"… pic.twitter.com/HaKLQW5CWU
When confronted about the White House response to the story and downplaying of reporting, Kirby claimed he was being as "forthcoming as possible" with the truth and blasted people within government who shared the information about the spy facility with reporters.
REPORTER: "Last week you said [the secret Chinese spy facility in Cuba] was inaccurate..."
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 12, 2023
KIRBY: "We were as forthcoming as we should have been at the time the first stories appeared...We just simply couldn't go into more detail..." pic.twitter.com/qNFIcAuLjR