ASHLEY: ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKTA DOWN 1 1/2%.
NOW THIS STORY, A U.S. COAST
GUARD CUTTER CONDUCTING PATROLS
IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN WAS DENIED
ENTRY INTO A PORT IN THE SOLOMON
ISLANDS.
THAT IS NOW RAISING CONCERNS
ABOUT CHINA’S GROWING INFLUENCE
IN THE AREA.
LET’S BRING IN SENATOR MARSHA
BLACKBURN, REPUBLICAN FROM
TENNESSEE.
GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING,
SENATOR.
HOW BIG OF A CONCERN IS THIS?
>> THIS IS ALWAYS A CONCERN.
WHEN YOU SEE THE WAY THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY IS DOING INTO
THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, YOU KNOW,
ASHLEY, ONE OF THE THINGS I
FOUND OUT FROM BEING THERE ON
THE GROUND, VISITING WITH THE
PRIME MINISTER IS WHILE THE
LEADERSHIP IN THE SOLOMON
ISLANDS IS WILLING TO GO ALONG
WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY
AND SOME OF THEIR BELT AND ROAD
INITIATIVE OR DEBT DIPLOMACY,
THE PEOPLE OF THE SOLOMONS ARE
NOT.
THEY ARE VERY RELIGIOUS.
THEY ARE VERY FREEDOM-ORIENTED.
THEY’RE IS AN ACTIVE OPPOSITION
TO WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER AND
THE LEADERS ARE DOING AND THE
PREFERRED PARTNER BY THE PEOPLE
OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS IS THE
UNITED STATES.
NOT THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY
WHO BRINGS THEM INFERIOR
PRODUCTS, OR, DOES INFERIOR
CONSTRUCTION.
DOING IT WITH CHINESE LABOR, NOT
WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE
SOLOMONS TO BUILD THE ITEMS THAT
THEY ARE BUILDING THERE ON THE
ISLAND.
ASHLEY: YOU KNOW, SENATOR, YOU
KNOW, YOU JUST RETURNED FROM A
TRIP TO TAIWAN.
YOU CALLED THE ISLAND AN
INDEPENDENT NATION.
WAS PART OF YOUR TRIP DESIGNED
TO MAKE A STATEMENT?
>> OH, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS
WORKING TOWARD PROTECTING THE
PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS TOE
TAIWAN INCLUDED FROM THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY’S AGGRESSION.
YOU KNOW THEIR INTENT ON BEING
GLOBALLY DOMINANT BY THE TIME WE
GET TO THE MIDPOINT OF THE
CENTURY.
THEY HAVE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE
IN HOW THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO MOVE
FORWARD IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
THAT IS OF CONCERN TO US BUT
WHAT WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT TAIWAN,
WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS
A NATION THAT HAD DECLARED THEIR
INDEPENDENCE.
THEY HAVE A FOUNDER OF THE
COUNTRY.
THEY HAVE A CONSTITUTION, A
PRESIDENT, A CABINET, A
MILITARY.
THEY VALUE THEIR INDEPENDENCE.
THEY SHARE OUR GOALS OF
DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM AND
DIPLOMACY AND, THEY SEEK TO HAVE
MORE TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES
AND WESTERN NATIONS AND THAT’S A
GOOD THING.
WE NEED THEM AS OUR ALLY AND
THEY ARE A STRONG ALLY INDEED.
ASHLEY: WANT TO COME BACK TO
THIS COUNTRY.
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS CLAIMS
THAT DEMOCRATS HAVE A REASONABLE
CHANCE, HE SAYS, TO RETAIN
CONTROL OF THE SENATE.
LISTEN TO THIS.
>> I THINK THERE IS A REASONABLE
CHANCE THAT DEMOCRATS WILL
RETAIN CONTROL OVER THE SENATE.
I CERTAINLY HOPE WE GET MORE
THAN 50 IN THE SENATE, THAT WE
GET AT LEAST 52 SO WE CAN START
GOING FORWARD TO PROTECTING
WORKING PEOPLE IN A WAY WE HAVE
NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO UP TO NOW.
ASHLEY: SENATOR, WHAT DO YOU
SAY?
THERE ARE THESE PEOPLE, NOW, I
SAY, PEOPLE, PUNDITS SAYING IT
WILL GO FROM A RED WAVE WHICH
WAS PREDICTED IN THE MIDTERMS TO
A RED RIPPLE, WHAT ARE YOUR
THOUGHTS?
>> YOU KNOW, PUNDITS ALWAYS HAVE
THEIR OPINION AND I FIND IT VERY
INTERESTING EACH ELECTION CYCLE
BUT WHEN I’M ACROSS HERE IN
TENNESSEE TALK TALKING OR
TALKING TO PEOPLE FROM OTHER
STATES.
INFLATION IS A TOP ISSUE.
THE OPEN BORDER IS A TOP
CONCERN, CRIME IN THE STREETS.
ASHLEY, THOSE ARE ALL ISSUES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE DEMOCRAT
PARTY.
AND PEOPLE KNOW THAT.
AND LOOKING AT THE POLLING THIS
WEEKEND WITH THE DEMOCRATS
CLAIMING THAT THEY ARE PUSHING
FORWARD, THAT POLLING DID NOT
REFLECT THAT.
IT SHOWS REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES
FOR THE SENATE SEATS STILL
HOLDING THEIR LEAD IN THESE
COMPETITIVE STATES.
ASHLEY: WELL, WE’LL LEAVE IT
RIGHT BUT GREAT TO SEE YOU,