SEAN: THAT WAS DEFENSE SECRETARY
LLOYD AUSTIN ON THE RECENT
DOWNINGS OVER AMERICAN AIRSPACE.
DAGEN: WE HAVE HUDSON INSTITUTE
SENIOR FELLOW REBECCA HEINRICHS.
THE MORE THEY TALK, THE MORE
FRIGHTENING IT IS, REBECCA.
WHY THE LACK OF SPECIFICITY?
LIKE THEY’RE DOING THIS ON
PURPOSE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> IT CERTAINLY IS UNSETTLING
AND I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
DESERVE TO HEAR FROM THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
WHAT ARE THESE THINGS FLYING
INTO OUR AIRSPACE?
I DON’T FIND IT REASSURING THAT
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CAN
TELL US WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN IT
DIDN’T POSE A DIRECT THREAT TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE YET HE WON’T
TELL US WHAT IT WAS.
HOW DOES HE KNOW IT DOESN’T POSE
A DIRECT THREAT TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE IF HE DOESN’T GIVE US
GREATER SPECIAL IF ITY, WHO WAS
FLYING IT, WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE?
HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT?
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND
THE LEFT OVER PIECES OF THIS
THING TO TELL US WHAT IT IS.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE
EVIDENCE, DAGEN YOU’RE
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SEAN: I SPENT 10 YEARS IN
POLITICS.
IF YOU ARE THE ADMINISTRATION IS
DOING A TAP DANCE AND I THINK IT
IS FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN THEY’RE
LETTING ON.
>> WE KNOW IT IS DEADLY SERIOUS.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 65
YEARS, NORAD, THE COMMAND THAT
OVERSEAS NORTH AMERICA LED BY
GENERAL VANHERK SHOT SOMETHING
OVER OUR AIRSPACE.
WE KNOW IT IS POSING A THREAT TO
AIRCRAFT FLYING IN THE AIRSPACE.
I WOULD SUSPECT THE
ADMINISTRATION IS CLAIMING THEY
COULD ONLY WAIT UNTIL THE
GIGANTIC CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY
SPY BALLOON THEY COULDN’T SHOOT
IT UNTIL OVER THE WATER.
I THINK THEY WOULD DO THAT
DIFFERENTLY WITH HINDSIGHT WITH
THE OUTCRY FROM THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
YOU CAN SHOOT IT DOWN OVER A
LESS POPULATED AREA.
YOU GET PIECES ON THE GROUND
RATHER THAN ON WATER.
SO I THINK THEY WOULD DO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE.
CLEARLY THIS IS SERIOUS.
WE HAVE ADVERSARY AIRCRAFT THAT
WE KNOW FOR SURE INSIDE OF THE
GATES, INSIDE THE GATES POSING A
THREAT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IT IS DEADLY SERIOUS AND THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES I
BELIEVE SHOULD ADDRESS THE
NATION.
DAGEN: THE THREE OBJECTS THAT
WERE SHOT DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND
AND JENNIFER GRIFFIN REPORTED
THAT A SENIOR U.S. DEFENSE
OFFICIAL CONFIRMED THAT A
SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE SPY
BALLOON HAS BEEN RECOVERED OFF
THE OCEAN FLOOR OFF THE COAST OF
SOUTH CAROLINA.
IT WAS LIFTED OFF OF THE OCEAN
FLOOR INTACT.
THIS WOULD BE THE BASE OF WHAT
WAS, ELECTRONICS THEY WERE
LOOKING, THAT THEY WERE LOOKING
FOR.
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL"
POINTED OUT, THEY SUGGESTED THAT
THIS BE ON DISPLAY AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE SEE WHAT WAS
RECOVERED IN TERMS OF THE
PAYLOAD.
JUST PUT IT OUT THERE AND THEY
WROTE LAST WEEK, THE REAL WORRY
SHOULD BE THAT THE INCIDENT
BLOWS OVER WITHOUT ANY
CONSEQUENCES AND THAT CHINA,
CHINA’S WAR HAWKS CONCLUDE THAT
SUCH PROVOCATION IS MANAGEABLE?
>> RIGHT.
SO, I MEAN THEY SHOULD
DEFINITELY REASSURE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WE KNOW WHAT THIS IS.
THEY ALSO HAVE TO COUNTER THE
DISINFORMATION THAT IS COMING
OUT OF BEIJING.
BEIJING IS NOW CLAIMING THAT THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS
FLOWN SIMILAR AIRCRAFT OVER
THEIR AIRSPACE.
THAT IS A LIE.
WE DO NOT FLY SPY AIRCRAFT INTO
THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY’S
AIRSPACE.
SO FOR THE SAKE OF THIS REALLY
INFORMATION WARFARE, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION OWES IT TO US AND
TO OUR ALLIES AND PARTNERS TO
DEMONSTRATE THAT THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY IS LYING AND
THEY’RE ALMOST CERTAINLY DOING
THIS THE WORLD OVER.
WHERE ELSE ARE THEY FLYING THESE
THINGS INTO OUR ALLY AIRSPACE?
YOU REMEMBER THIS BELT AND ROAD
INITIATIVE, DAGEN THEY CLAIM
THEY’RE DOING INFRASTRUCTURE IN
ALL OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD FOR
THESE COUNTRIES.
ARE THEY CONDUCTING MILITARY
ACTIVITIES ERRONEOUSLY AGAINST
THE WILL AND SAY OF THESE HOST
COUNTRIES?
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT ELSE THE
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY IS
DOING.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A VERY
AGGRESSIVE RESPONSE AND
COUNTERINFORMATION YOU KNOW,
WARFARE ESSENTIALLY
DEMONSTRATING THAT THE CHINESE
ARE LYING AND THAT WE’RE THE
ONES THAT ARE TELLING THE TRUTH
AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WON’T TOLERATE
IT.
SEAN: REBECCA, I HAVE ONLY 30
SECONDS LEFT BUT WHAT RESPONSE
SHOULD WE HAVE ECONOMICALLY AND
DIPLOMATICALLY WITH CHINA?
>> WELL, NUMBER ONE, I THINK THE
ATTEMPT TO HAVE A RESET
ESSENTIALLY WITH CHINA IS, WAS
ALWAYS FOOLISH BUT THAT SHOULD
BE OVER.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE SOME
SORT OF A CLIMATE CHANGE
COOPERATION WITH CHINA, THE
BIGGEST POLLUTER OF THE CLIMATE
ANYWAY.
WE NEED TO START PUSSING THEM ON
THEIR HEELS INSTEAD OF
CONSTANTLY REACTING TO THEIR
PROVOCATIONS.
IF IT MEANS, YES, ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS WOULD BE A BIG ONE BUT
I ALSO THINK WE HAVE TO RUSH
FIREPOWER INTO THE ASIAN-PACIFIC
REGION SO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT
WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE PUSHED
OVER, WE’RE NOT ESSENTIALLY CEDE
INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE,
INTERNATIONAL WATERWAYS TO THE
CHINESE BUT WE’LL HAVE TO START
MAKING THEM BE ON THEIR BACK
HEEL RATHER THAN US CONSTANTLY