WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Steve Daines appeared on Fox News with Martha MacCallum today to discuss the news over the weekend that the United States shot down more flying objects.
Daines on the Historical Significance of the Shoot-downs
“I think we need to step back and look at the historical significance of what’s going on. NORAD was founded in 1958. That was sixty-five years ago under the Eisenhower administration. For sixty-five years NORAD has never exercised taking something out of the sky. Sixty-five years, never once. NORAD has responsibilities for Alaska, for Canada and for the lower forty-eight. In the last eight days they have now have taken four objects out of the sky. Starting, of course, with the Chinese spy balloon that came over Montana. Montanans are very concerned. They’re anxious. Our phones are ringing. We’ve had another air base shut down, temporary flight restriction Saturday night. They’re asking, ‘What is going on?’ In Montana, we control the ICBMs. These are the most powerful weapons known to mankind. Weapons of mass destruction. They’re housed in Montana. That’s where the objects have been flying over. I’m pleading with the administration, ‘See something, and say something.’ We tell our kids that, TSA tells us that. I’m telling the White House that. Prime Minister Trudeau went in front of the Canadian people today, in front of the press corps and took questions about it. Where is the president this time of need? He’s the commander-in-chief. He’s needs to show authority. Command of the facts. If he doesn’t know the facts, at least assure the American people of the current state of play.”
Daines on Why President Biden’s Indecisiveness Shows Weakness
“We have this massive balloon in the air, with surveillance capabilities, hovering over the most powerful weapon known to humankind. We should all be concerned. The fact that it penetrated our airspace from Alaska across Canada into Montana. We need decisiveness and leadership from the commander-in-chief. He should have taken that shot over the Aleutians. We’ve got to send a very strong message. You can’t invade the sovereign airspace of the United States of America. These are trial balloons that are very sophisticated, coming across North America into the United States. The indecisiveness shows weakness on the world stage. This sounds a little parallel to another terrible moment in this administration. That was the debacle of the Afghanistan withdrawal. The weakness shown by the commander in chief is threatening the world because when the world sees America looking weak on the world stage, it empowers our adversaries, and that is a huge risk to the world.”
Daines on the Chinese Communist Party’s Lies
“This communist regime said it was a weather balloon. That 100 percent unequivocally false. You can’t believe what comes out of China. You have to push back strongly and do the right thing to protect the United States of America.”
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