On Thursday evening, the Pentagon confirmed that the Chinese spy balloon slowly floating across Montana has been floating across the United States for several days now.
Of course the Chinese government claims the balloon is simply a “civilian device used for meteorology.”
HAPPENING NOW: Photo shows the massive Chinese spy balloon over Montana.
U.S. military is tracking the balloon. pic.twitter.com/RS52mQE9Og
— Antonio Sabato Jr (@AntonioSabatoJr) February 3, 2023
They must think we are idiots to believe something like that. Yet, here we are with a Chinese spy balloon floating across our country and weakling President Joe Biden refuses to take action.
Now former President Donald Trump is calling for the balloon to be shot down.
He posted to Truth Social on Friday, “SHOOT DOWN THE BALLOON!”
On Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder stated, “The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic, and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
A senior defense official also said, “We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China].”
The official added that Biden has been briefed on the situation, but “it was the strong recommendation by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. [Mark] Milley and the commander of NORTHCOM, Gen. Glen VanHerck, not to take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of the people on the ground from the possible debris field.”
“Currently we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective. But we are taking steps, nevertheless, to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information. We are also tracking what abilities it could have in gaining insights, and continue to monitor the balloon as it is over the continental United States,” the senior defense official continued.
The official also refused to state when the Department of Defense noticed the balloon and began tracking it. However, he noted, “we have been tracking it for some time.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence also called for Biden to shoot down the balloon on Twitter. He wrote, “Shoot down the Chinese spy balloon. Go ahead and send the Secretary of State to China next week. Have Antony Blinken look them in the eye and tell em- it better never happen again.”
Shoot down the Chinese spy balloon.
Go ahead and send the Secretary of State to China next week.
Have @SecBlinken Look them in the eye and tell em- it better never happen again.
That’s Peace Through Strength????????
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) February 3, 2023
