IN ATLANTA.
THANK YOU.
>> Julie: TENSIONS BETWEEN THE
U.S. AND CHINA GROWING BY THE
DAY.
YET A NEW "WASHINGTON POST"
OP-ED SUGGESTS PRESIDENT
BIDEN’S FOREIGN POLICY
PRACTICES ARE PAYING OFF.
THEY SAY HE HAS BEEN TOUGHER ON
CHINA THAN PRESIDENT OBAMA AND
SMARTER THAN PRESIDENT TRUMP.
LET’S BRING IN GENERAL JACK
KEANE.
LET ME ASK YOU WHAT BRINGS THIS
AUTHOR TO COME TO THE NOTION
THAT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
OPERATED UNDER THE MISTAKEN
ASSUMPTION AND I’M QUOTING THAT
CHINA WANTED TO BE A
RESPONSIBLE MEMBER OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY,
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP LEFT THE
UNITED STATES IN A WEAKER
POSITION AGAINST CHINA,
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS TAKEN A
DIFFERENT TACK, TOUGHER THAN
OBAMA’S AND SMARTER THAN
TRUMP’S.
GROWING EVIDENCE THAT THIS
APPROACH IS PAYING OFF.
IS THERE?
>> I WOULDN’T QUITE
CHARACTERIZE IT THAT WAY.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION.
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD A GENERAL
POLL RECEIVE APPEASEMENT TO
CHINA MUCH AS HE DID FOR RUSSIA
AND THERE HAS BEEN CONSEQUENCES
OF THAT POLICY CERTAINLY.
BUT I THINK WHAT PRESIDENT
BIDEN HAS DONE, HE HAS BUILT ON
THE FOUNDATION THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP ESTABLISHED AND THAT IS
FOR THE FIRST TIME ANY
PRESIDENT PUSH BACK ON CHINA
AND CENTRAL TO THAT WAS THE
ECONOMIC PUSHBACK AND THE
TARIFFS AND THEN THE ECONOMIC
AGREEMENT WITH CHINA.
THE SECOND THING WAS TO
STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIP
WITH OUR ALLIES.
THE QUAD, WHICH IS AN
UNOFFICIAL ALLIANCE AMONG
JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES
AND INDIA, WHICH WAS STARTED BY
PRESIDENT BUSH TO DEAL WITH
CHINA AND THEN LAY DORMANT,
PRESIDENT TRUMP REVISED THAT
FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS, TO
CONFRONT CHINA AND TO BUILD
ALLIED SUPPORT FOR IT.
AND PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS COME IN
AND STRENGTHENED THAT.
HE HAS HAD TWO MEETINGS WITH
THE PRINCIPALS.
GIVE HIM CREDIT WITH NOT ONLY
STRENGTHENING THAT ALLIANCES
AND OTHER ALLIANCES AND HOLDING
IN PLACE MOST OF THE ECONOMIC
POLICIES THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
INSTITUTIONALIZED.
LISTEN, THE PRESIDENT IS DOING
SOME GOOD THINGS HERE WHEN IT
DEALS WITH CHINA.
MY PROBLEM WITH IT IS, WE HAVE
ERODED THE UNITED STATES
MILITARY DETERRENTS AS A RESULT
OF THE 9/11 WARS.
WE HAVE TO BUILD OUR WAY OUT OF
IT.
THE TRUMP BUDGET WAS A STEP IN
THAT DIRECTION BUT WE NEED MORE
OF IT.
IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, JULIE.
BECAUSE WHAT KEPT THE PEACE
BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION AND
UNITED STATES WAS AN EFFECTIVE
MILITARY DETERRENCE THAT THE
UNITED STATES AND NATO
ESTABLISHED.
WE DON’T HAVE THAT TODAY WITH
CHINA.
AND THE BUDGET THAT IS BEING
PROPOSED IS A DECLINING BUDGET
BECAUSE IT DOESN’T ACCOUNT FOR
8% INFLATION.
WE HAVE TO FIX THIS.
>> Julie: YEAH.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE TO GIVE
PRESIDENT TRUMP CREDIT FOR THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING HE CAMPAIGNED
ON BEFORE TAKING OFFICE THAT HE
WOULD TALK TOUGH WITH CHINA.
SOMETHING WE HAVEN’T SEEN
FORMER PRESIDENTS DO AND
FORTUNATELY PRESIDENT TRUMP DID
SET THE STAGE FOR PRESIDENT
BIDEN TO CONTINUE THAT.
I WANT TO SWITCH GEARS BEFORE
WE RUN OUT OF TIME HERE.
YOU AND I OFTEN TALK ABOUT
CONFLICTS OVERSEAS AND I LOVE
YOUR ADVICE THAT YOU GIVE US
ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING YOUR
MILITARY BACKGROUND, THE
MILITARY OPERATIONS INVOLVED
AND THESE CRISES THAT WE TALK
ABOUT HERE.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE, WHAT IS YOUR
SENTIMENT, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE
TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR MEMORIAL
DAY REFLECTIONS ON TODAY?
>> FIRST OF ALL, IT’S A VERY
SPECIAL DAY.
WE SET ASIDE A DAY FOR OUR
VETERANS AND WE SET ASIDE
ANOTHER DAY TO HONOR OUR ARMED
FORCES.
BUT THIS IS A SACRED DAY
BECAUSE WE ARE HONORING A VERY
SPECIAL GROUP OF AMERICANS,
THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SO
THAT THE REST OF US CAN ENJOY
OURS.
AND IT IS SACRED.
I THINK IT’S PARALLEL TO THE
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS THAT WE
CELEBRATE REGARDLESS BASED ON
OUR FAITH IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND YES, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT,
IT IS A DAY THAT I ALWAYS
CONSIDER WHAT THE FALLEN WERE
WILLING TO GIVE UP.
THEY PUT EVERYTHING AT RISK IN
THEIR LIVES, JULIE, TO BE A
PARENT, TO HAVE FRIENDS, TO
LIVE A LONG LIFE AND HAVE LOVE
IN THEIR LIFE.
IT WAS ALL PUT AT RISK AND THEY
DID IT OUT OF A SIMPLE SENSE OF
DUTY FOR THEIR COUNTRY.
IT IS VERY PROFOUND IN THAT
EXPRESSION AND THE SECOND
REASON, I BELIEVE, IS THEY DID
IT FOR ONE ANOTHER.
IT REPRESENTS TRUE HONOR AND WE
CAN NEVER, EVER TAKE THIS KIND
OF DEVOTION FOR GRANTED.
I DON’T BELIEVE WE DO IN THIS
COUNTRY.
I BELIEVE THIS COUNTRY DOES
HONOR ITS FALLEN AND I RESPECT
THAT AND ADMIRE IT AND I
RESPECT THE EVENTS THAT TAKE
PLACE ACROSS THE SWATH OF THIS
COUNTRY IN HONORING WHAT HAS
TAKEN PLACE AND THE SACRIFICE
OF THE FALLEN.