>> MARIA: WELCOME BACK.
CONTROVERSY OVER SENATOR TOM
COTTON’S NEW YORK TIMES OFFED OP
THIS PAST WEEK.
HIS PIECE CALLED FOR AN
OVERWHELMING SHOW OF FORCE AND
SPARKED AN ONLINE REVOLT AT THE
NEW YORK TIMES.
THE TIMES ISSUED A STATEMENT
SAYING THIS, WE EXAMINED THE
PIECE AND PROCESS LEADING UP TO
THE PUBLICATION, THIS REVIEW
MADE CLEAR THAT A RUSHED
EDITORIAL PROCESS LED TO THE
PUBLICATION OF AN OP ED THAT DID
NOT MEET OUR STANDARDS.
HERE TO REACT IS THE SENATOR
HIMSELF, SENATOR TOM COTTON OF
THE ARMED SERVICES INTELLIGENCE
AND BANKING AND ECONOMIC
COMMITTEES.
THANK SOW MUCH FOR JOINING ME,
SENATOR.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TIMES OP
ED?
WAS IT RUSHED?
>>
[ LAUGHTER ]
HARDLY, MARIA.
I WOULD SAY IT DIDN’T MEET THE
STANDARDS, FAR EXCEEDED THEIR
STANDARDS WHICH IS USUALLY
SOPHOMORIC LEFT WIN DRIBBLE.
LAST WEEKEND WE SAW RIOTING,
ROOTING, ANARCHY AND
INSURRECTION ON OUR STREETS.
IN WASHINGTON, D.C. A FAMOUS
CHURCH WAS TORCHED, STORES WERE
LOOTED AND I SAID SIMPLY LAST
MONDAY OF DAY IF THE LOCAL
POLICE ARE OVERWHELMED BY THE
NUMBERS, IF THEY NEED SUPPORT
FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD OR IF
NECESSARY AS A LAST RESORT
FEDERAL TROOPS UNDER THE
INSURRECTION ACT, THAT’S EXACTLY
WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE
COURSE OF LAST WEEK.
WE SAW PEOPLE EXERCISING THEIR
FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO
DEMONSTRATE HAND PROTEST.
IN THE MEANTIME WE PUBLISHED
THAT ARGUMENT IN THE NEW YORK
TIMES.
THE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR AND
OWNER DEFENDED IT IN PUBLIC
STATEMENTS BUT THEN THEY TOTALLY
SURRENDERED TO A WOKE CHILD MOB
FROM THEIR OWN NEWSROOM THAT
APPARENTLY GETS TRIGGERED IF
THEY’RE PRESENTED WITH ANY
OPINION CONSISTENT CONTRARY TO T
AS OPPOSED TO TELLING THE WOKE
PEOPLE IN THEIR NEWSROOM THIS IS
A WORKPLACE, NOT A SEMINAR ON
CAMPUS.
>> MARIA: I KNOW IT WENT BACK
AND FORTH THREE OR FOUR TIMES IN
TERMS OF EDIT AND REEDITS.
I LIKE WHAT HOWIE KURTZ ASSUMED
HE SAID THIS IS A WINDOW INTO
HOW BIASED THE NEW YORK TIMES IS
WHEN THEY TOTALLY EXPOSED
THEMSELVES, THE OPINION PAGE IS
JUST THAT, AN OPINION PAGE.
>> YEAH, THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
MARIA.
WE PUBLISHED OP OF EDS IN THE
NEW YORK TIMES BEFORE.
IT WAS THE EXACT SAME PROCESS.
THE SENIOR LEADERS OF THE NEW
YORK TIMES PUBLICLY DEFENDED THE
DECISION TO PUBLISH THE OP ED
AFTER THIS WOKE MOB BEGAN TO
RISE UP.
IT WAS ONLY AFTER ANOTHER DAY OF
IN-FIGHTING THAT THEY FINALLY
BACK PEDALED.
THEY HAVEN’T IDENTIFIED ANY
FACTS THAT ARE WRONG IN THE OP
ED, HAVEN’T IDENTIFIED WHAT WAS
SO RUSHED ABOUT THE PROCESS.
THEY ONLY PROSTATED THEMSELVES
IN FRONT OF THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN
WHO ARE ACTING LIKE CHILDREN WHO
ARE ACTING LIKE KIDS IN A SOCIAL
JUSTICE SEMINAR AS OPPOSED TO
ACTING LIKE GROWN-UPS IN THE
WORKPLACE.
>> MARIA: LET ME GET A WORD ON
THE SITUATION TAKING PLACE RIGHT
NOW.
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WE HAD MAYORS
AND GOVERNORS UPSET BY THE
LOCKDOWN, UPSET BY THE SHUTDOWN
AND NOW WE’VE GOT ALL OF THESE
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND,
PROTESTING, MANY OF WHOM ARE
PEACEFUL, BUT IS THERE A WORRY
THAT THEY’RE GOING TO GET COVID,
BEING SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER?
>> WELL, I HOPE THAT’S NOT THE
CASE.
WE WON’T KNOW FOR A WEEK OR TWO,
GIVEN THE INCUBATION PERIOD OF
THE VIRUS.
BUT I THINK WE CAN SAY THAT THE
LOCKDOWNS AND THE MOST EXTREME
FORM ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE
FINISHED.
WHETHER DE FACTO OR NOT.
YOU CAN’T EXPECT PEOPLE TO
CONTINUE TO VOLUNTARILY COMPLY
WITH WHAT SOME OF THE MAYORS AND
GOVERNORS ARE SAYING.
IT CANNOT BE THE CASE THAT
THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS CAN
EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS ON THE STREET, WHILE
DOZENS OF AMERICANS CANNOT
EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS IN CHURCHES.
IT CANNOT BE THE CASE THAT YOU
CAN BE ARRESTED FOR OPENING A
BUSINESS BOUGHT NOT FOR LOOTING
ONE.
>> MARIA: UNBELIEVABLE.
REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE GO ONTO
CHINA, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO OF HAVE
WRITEN OP EDS FOR THE NEW YORK
TIMES, WE’VE GOT ONE FOR THE
TALIBAN.
I DON’T THINK THERE WAS ANY
CONTROVERSY AROUND THIS, THE
HEADLINE, WHAT WE THE TALIBAN
WANT.
THAT WAS AN OP ED IN THE TIMES.
THERE WAS ALSO ONE FROM PUTIN,
THERE WAS ONE YEARS BACK FROM
HITLER.
>> YEAH, I DON’T REMEMBER ALL
THE WOKE STAFFERS AT THE NEW
YORK TIMES RISING UP IN ARMS
WHENEVER THEY PUBLISHED THE
TALIBAN OP ED JUST A FEW MONTHS
AGO.
IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THE
MORAL RIGHT INSIDE SOME OF OUR
MEDIA AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS,
THEY THAT THEY DON’T GET
OUTRAGED ABOUT THE TALIBAN BUT
THEY DO GET OUTRAGED ABOUT
CONSERVATIVE OPINION.
>> MARIA: YEAH.
LET ME MOVE ON TO CHINA.
WE HAD MORE INFORMATION AND NEW
INFORMATION THIS WEEK.
CHINA IS NOW FORCES -- COMMUNIST
PARTY FORCES ARE ON THE BORDER
FACING OFF AGAINST FORCES IN
INDIA.
DID THEY INVADE INDIA?
THEY MILITARYIZED THE SOUTH
CHINA SEA AND ARE OVERREACHING
ON HONG KONG.
YOUR REACTION TO THE NEW
DEVELOPMENTS COMING OUT OF THE
CCP THIS PAST WEEK IN TERMS OF
THEIR MILITARY.
>> SURE, MARIA.
THERE’S BEEN MANY AGGRESSIVE
STEPS OUT OF THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY OVER THE LAST
FEW WEEKS.
THEY’VE BEEN ATTACKING FISHING
BOATS FROM OTHER NATIONS IN THE
SOUTH CHINA SEA.
THEY PASSED A LAW THAT CRACKED
DOWN ON HONG KONG AND VIOLATION
OF THEIR BASIC INTERNATIONAL
COMMITMENTS AND IN EFFECT THEY
DID INVADE INDIAN TERRITORY.
THE BORDER BETWEEN CHINA AND
INDIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN MURKY IN
MANY PLACES BUT CHINESE FORCES,
NO DOUBT, HAVE TAKEN TERRITORY
THAT OTHERWISE IS CLAIMED BY
INDIA, SIGNIFICANTLY HEIGHTENING
TENSIONS THERE.
I COMMEND THE PRESIDENT FOR
TAKING BOLD ACTION, FOR EXAMPLE
ABOUT HONG KONG, WITH DRAWING
HONG KONG’S FAVORED TRADE STATUS
AND REFUSING TO ALLOW CHINESE
STUDENTS WHO ARE AFFILIATED WITH
THE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY TO
CONTINUE STUDYING IN OUR MOST
ADVANCED LABORATORIES.
THERE’S A LOT MORE WE CAN
CONTINUE TO DO TO OF CHECK
CHINA’S AMBITIONS AND PREVENT
FURTHER CHINESE AGGRESSION.
>> MARIA: THERE IS ALSO NEWS ON
HUAWEI, A REAL PUSHBACK.
YOU KNOW, A WEEK AGO WE SAW THE
ENGLISH SPEAKING ALLIES GET
TOGETHER AND WRITE A MEMO, A
PRESS RELEASE DENOUNCING WHAT
CHINA HAS DONE TO HONG KONG.
THAT INCLUDES CANADA, U.K.,
AUSTRALIA.
I’M WONDERING WHERE EUROPE IS.
THE EUROPEAN NATIONS LIKE
GERMANY, FRANCE, ITALY, ARE THEY
STILL USING HUAWEI TELECOM AND
TELL US WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST
WEEK IN TERMS OF HUAWEI AND HOW
IT’S SPYING ON PEOPLE ACROSS THE
WORLD THAT HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE
IN PLACE, THAT’S HUAWEI.
>> ONE VERY BIG STEP THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKING IS TO
SAY THAT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY
CAN’T BE USED IN FOREIGN
MANUFACTURED SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS
THAT THEN ARE BOUND FOR MAINLAND
CHINA.
THIS CLOSES THE LOOPHOLE FROM A
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DECISION
LAST YEAR TO PREVENT AMERICAN
MADE CHIPS FROM GOING TO CHINA.
THAT DECISION ALONE TO CUT OFF
AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY TO FOREIGN
SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURERS
COULD REVERSE A LOT OF THE
HUAWEI DECISIONS YOU’VE SEEN IN
OUR ALLIES, GERMANY HAS SAID
THEY MAY NO LONGER BE ABLE TO
USE HUAWEI TECHNOLOGY.
THE UNITED KINGDOM IS
RECONSIDERING IT AS WELL.
THAT’S A VERY GOOD THING.
>> MARIA: I KNOW YOU’VE GOT
LEGISLATION RIGHT NOW PROPOSING
$43 BILLION TO BEEF UP THE U.S.
MILITARY IN THE PACIFIC.
PARTLY FOR THIS REASON.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT