Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday afternoon, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre justified the Biden administration decision to allow a Chinese spy balloon, which was loaded with self-sabotage explosives, to traverse across the United States before it was shot down over the Atlantic ocean on Saturday.
KJP: "We knew exactly where the balloon was going." pic.twitter.com/vQc3INSeZU
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 6, 2023
According to reports, Biden administration officials watched the balloon come in from China and did nothing to stop it from entering the continental U.S.
Watch @GregPalkot: “Fox News can confirm Secretary of State Blinken’s trip to China is postponed indefinitely” as Chinese ‘spy balloon’ flies over America pic.twitter.com/NEZWAGxHaZ
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) February 3, 2023
Further, Jean-Pierre claimed Trump administration officials failed to catch a number of Chinese spy balloon incursions into the U.S. when President Donald Trump was in office. When asked to specify who and how, Jean-Pierre gave a jumbled non-answer. Trump administration officials deny awareness the incursions ever happened, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton, former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
DOD says Chinese spy balloons flew during Trump yrs too. Trump officials (myself included) knew nothing abt it. So 3 possibilities: DOD lying to give Biden political cover; mil knew abt it but never told Trump officials; mil only recently pieced it together. #ChineseSpyBalloon
— KT McFarland (@realKTMcFarland) February 5, 2023
REPORTER: "How is it possible that this administration discovered at least three previous balloons that flew over the US under the previous administration, but Trump officials didn't know it was happening?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 6, 2023
KJP: "Yeah, so, look, I think that uh, and we have talked about this..." pic.twitter.com/QE3tQK0TAi
POMPEO: "It's unimaginable to me...that somehow this wouldn't have gotten to the political leadership in the White House or State Department or the CIA...if it did, someone needs to explain it to me and to the American public as well." pic.twitter.com/yWWxucFfq5
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 6, 2023
As far as consequences for China, it doesn't appear there will be any.
KJP: "It's up to China to show it is serious about its words of being a responsible country..." pic.twitter.com/4nFOeYztuR
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 6, 2023