White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a firm warning to the Chinese government after Beijing launched large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan.
The joint military drills, which have yet to be formally declared, involved China&#8217;s army, navy, air, and rocket forces in a show of power aimed at the democratic island.
Taiwan&#8217;s Ministry of National Defense has tracked 71 Chinese aircraft and 21 warships, including an aircraft carrier battle group entering Taiwan&#8217;s &#8220;air defense zone.&#8221;
A spokesperson for China&#8217;s People&#8217;s Liberation Army said the exercises were meant as a &#8220;severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence,&#8221; The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5226931-white-house-china-war-games-near-taiwan/">reported</a>.
Leavitt stated in a Tuesday press conference that President Trump &#8220;is emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait&#8221; and &#8220;reiterating our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.&#8221; The National Security Council has briefed the administration on the situation.
Leavitt said that Trump considers Taiwan a strategic partner, providing billions in military aid, while U.S. law requires Washington to treat threats to Taipei with &#8220;grave concern.&#8221;
In February, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a joint statement in opposition to any Chinese attempt to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait through force. Additionally, the State Department has removed language from its website that did not support Taipei&#8217;s independence during the Biden administration.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently met with counterparts in Japan and the Philippines, vowing to enhance United States military alliances to counter &#8220;China&#8217;s aggression&#8221; after recent displays.
Taiwan&#8217;s Presidential Office condemned &#8220;China&#8217;s blatant military provocations&#8221; on X, saying such actions &#8220;threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait&#8221; and &#8220;undermine security in the entire region.&#8221;
China views Taiwan as its sovereign territory and has repeatedly threatened to take the independently-governed island by force: &#8220;China&#8217;s reunification is an unstoppable trend — it will happen and it must happen,&#8221; a CCP spokesperson <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-military-says-it-is-conducting-exercises-around-taiwan-2025-03-31/">said</a> in defense of the drills at a news conference on Tuesday.

Karoline Leavitt

Trump White House Confronts China Over Taiwan Military Provocations

China

Global Politics

Politics

Taiwan

Trump Administration

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) warned this week that the threat of a surprise attack in the Pacific from Communist China was much higher than people realize because they have managed to lull the world to sleep with their repeated military exercises.
Cotton made the remarks during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt this week while talking about his new book &#8220;Seven Things You Can&#8217;t Say About China.&#8221;
&#8220;China is justly unpopular with the vast majority of Americans, and most of those Americans are very worried about China,&#8221; Cotton said. &#8220;But if anything, it&#8217;s actually much worse. The threat is pervasive. It&#8217;s present today. It&#8217;s not remote in the future, and it is something that affects your everyday life in America, not just, you know, something that might affect our strategic position in the world years from now.&#8221;
Cotton said that one of the greatest threats China poses to the world is with its &#8220;gray zone&#8221; activities, a term that refers to coercive actions that are shy of armed conflict, but go further than normal diplomatic, economic, and other activities, and are used to advance a nation&#8217;s interests.
He was specifically asked about the numerous incursions into Taiwanese waters and airspace by the Chinese military and whether China may one day pull the trigger and launch a surprise attack on Taiwan.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we can ever take that for granted. I know that Taiwan, and, for that matter, Japan does not either,&#8221; Cotton said. &#8220;That&#8217;s why the increasing number of recent years of naval and air patrols by Communist China in Taiwan&#8217;s airspace and its waters, just like in Japan&#8217;s southwest islands, are so deeply troubling.&#8221;
&#8220;It gives the people, Liberation Army, Air Force, and Navy more opportunities to train for the operation in which they might go for the jugular in Taiwan,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It puts severe stress on Taiwan and Japan&#8217;s military — both their equipment and their people. You know, in times when you might be, say, doing operations or maintenance or training or just giving your troops a break, they have to scramble to intercept those Chinese aircraft and ships, and I think it also can&#8217;t help but to lead to a bit of a sense of complacency and dull the acuity of the antennae of everyone who&#8217;s involved.&#8221;
Cotton warned that on the 2,000th time that China illegally enters Taiwanese airspace, nothing may happen, and then the very next time, they may decide to launch a full-scale invasion.
&#8220;So I think that we have serious reason to be very concerned about all of these incursions,&#8221; he said.
WATCH:
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Tom Cotton Feb 19

Tom Cotton Sounds Alarm Over Threat Of Surprise Attack From Chinese Military

Communist China

Tom Cotton

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) CEO C.C. Wei announced at the White House on Monday that his company will further invest at least $100 billion in chip-manufacturing plants in the United States over the next several years.
President Donald Trump, who attended the event where the announcement was made, noted that had TSMC manufactured the chips in Taiwan and shipped them to the United States, they would have been subjected to 25%-50% tariffs.
&#8220;By doing it here, there’s no tariffs,&#8221; Trump said.
Trump said that the deal was critical to United States national security as Taiwan faces the threat of invasion by communist China.
&#8220;Without the chips and semiconductors, nothing runs today,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;You can&#8217;t buy a car without them, you can&#8217;t &#8212; a radio, a television, you can&#8217;t get anything.&#8221;
&#8220;We thought it was very important, obviously business-wise, but we thought even in terms of national security, to have this large percentage of the chips, semiconductors, and other things&#8221; made in the United States, Trump added.
TSMC will invest the money in Arizona to expand the manufacturing plant that it has in Phoenix, where it employs 3,000 people, and will construct three new chip plants, two chip-packaging plants and a research and development center, Wei said at the White House.
TSMC came to the United States during Trump&#8217;s first term in office when it announced a $12 billion investment in Arizona, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The company has since expanded in the state, bringing its total investment up to $65 billion. The new announcement brings the company&#8217;s total investment to $165 billion.
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President Trump Makes An Investment Announcement In The Roosevelt Room Of The White House

Semiconductor Giant Announces $100 Billion Investment In U.S. Manufacturing

Arizona

Executive

National Security

Technology

U.S.

Vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) said on Monday that Chinese communist dictator Xi Jinping&#8217;s mindset is much closer to Nazi Germany than the former Soviet Union.
Vance made the comparison during an interview with Hugh Hewitt while discussing what policies a second Trump administration would have when it comes to confronting an increasingly aggressive China.
Vance said that it was obvious that China wants to take over Taiwan, but it was not clear just how badly they desire the island.
&#8220;I think part of American policy over the next few years has to be to make it as costly as possible for them to seize it by force,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is why it’s important to give the Taiwanese the defensive weapon systems they need &#8230; because if we make it harder for Xi to take Taiwan, that’s going to change his calculus as much as possible.&#8221;
He noted that war game simulations have shown that it would be &#8220;extremely difficult&#8221; to repel a Chinese invasion if the Chinese managed to establish a foothold on the island.
He said that the Biden-Harris administration has failed to deliver the weapons that Taiwan needs in a timely fashion to establish deterrence.
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When asked what he knows about Xi, Vance responded that the dictator was &#8220;certainly ruthless.&#8221;
&#8220;I don’t know that he is a Leninist as much as a sort of ultra-Chinese nationalist in some ways,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that the Nazis in the 30s and 40s are sort of a better mental frame for Xi than maybe the Soviets of the 50s and 60s.&#8221;
He said that the Chinese believe that they are destined to rule the world and that Western civilization is nothing more than a &#8220;blip in the historical radar.&#8221;
&#8220;And so I think that we have to recognize they have extremely ambitious plans, and we have to have our own ambitious plans to counter it,&#8221; he said.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>: Chinese dictator Xi Jinping is a &#8220;ruthless&#8221; &#8220;ultra-Chinese nationalist&#8221; who is like &#8220;the Nazis in the 30s and 40s&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/CW46NMVtja">pic.twitter.com/CW46NMVtja</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1848393232163483889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2024</a></blockquote>

Republican Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance Holds News Conference On Crime And Safety In Kenosha, Wisconsin

JD Vance: Chinese Dictator Xi Jinping’s Mindset Similar To Nazi Germany

Elections

JD Vance

Nazi Germany

Soviet Union

Xi Jinping

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said during an interview that aired over the weekend that if communist China invades Taiwan the impact on the global economy will be ten times larger than the impact from Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine.
Haley made the remarks during an interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan while talking about the threat China poses to the world.
She discussed a recent trip she took to Taiwan where she learned about how they are preparing militarily for a potential war with China, including by reducing investment in China, extending the length of required military service for 18-year-olds, and training with the U.S.
&#8220;When it comes to our allies, when it comes to freedom-loving countries, we need to be the best friend to them that we can, because, if China takes Taiwan, what we saw with Russia and Ukraine, it affected 1 percent of GDP, and you saw the economy shake from that,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-the-nation-full-transcript-09-08-2024/">said</a>. &#8220;If China takes Taiwan, it would be 10 percent of the global GDP. That&#8217;s $10 trillion, compared to the $1 trillion in Ukraine. We need to care about that. We need to care about it from freedom. We need to care about it from the economy. We need to care about it from security.&#8221;
She said that Americans should not assume that everything will be &#8220;OK&#8221; if the U.S. goes into isolationist mode and ignores Russian and Chinese aggression.
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&#8220;What Taiwan is asking for is joint military training and to partner with us so that they can make weapons to defend themselves, and they want intelligence-sharing,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The best way to prevent war from China is to start arming Taiwan now and making sure that they&#8217;re ready.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we need to send U.S. troops to defend Taiwan,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikkiHaley</a> says, after President Biden said he would be willing to send U.S. troops but neither Donald Trump nor JD Vance have said so.
&#8220;Taiwan does not want troops,&#8221; she says, adding that Taiwan instead wants joint… <a href="https://t.co/jJVWQ6z6vJ">pic.twitter.com/jJVWQ6z6vJ</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1832804175236719101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2024</a></blockquote>

Nikki Haley Visits “FOX & Friends”

Nikki Haley Explains What The Economic Impact Will Be If China Invades Taiwan

Economy

Nikki Haley

World

An intelligence officer with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Army</a> pled guilty on Tuesday to selling critical military documents to an individual in Hong Kong believed to be tied to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> government. 
Korbein Schultz, 24, who was stationed at Fort Campbell along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, pled guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official, the Justice Department announced. He faces up to 65 years in prison upon his sentencing in January. 
“This defendant sold national defense information to a foreign actor and conspired to corrupt other members of our military,” said United States Attorney Henry Leventis. “In doing so, he violated his training and his oath as a member of the armed services and he compromised our national security.” 
Robert Well of the FBI said that the incident was a reminder that hostile governments like China are trying to steal U.S. military secrets. 
“Governments like China are aggressively targeting our military personnel and national security information and we will do everything in our power to ensure that information is safeguarded from hostile foreign governments,” he said. 
According to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1341561/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment</a>, Schultz’s illegal activity began in June 2022 and continued until his arrest in March. One of his most recent duties was listed as “Classified Document Custodian,” the indictment against him noted. 
Some of the information that Schultz sold included a document explaining how the U.S. would apply lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, Air Force documents about the HH-60 helicopter, American intelligence on the Chinese military, rocket defense systems, and U.S. military exercises with South Korea and the Philippines. 
Prosecutors previously said that he made around $42,000 from the transmission of the materials.
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Schultz could get 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, 20 years for exporting defense data to China without a license, 20 years for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, and another 15 years for the bribery charge. 
&#8220;This Soldier swore an oath to faithfully discharge his duties, to include protecting national defense information. Not only did he fail in his sworn duty, but he placed personal gain above his duty to our country and disclosed information that could give an advantage to a foreign nation, putting his fellow Soldiers in jeopardy,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-army-intelligence-analyst-pleads-guilty-charges-conspiracy-obtain-and-disclose-national">said</a> Brigadier General Rhett Cox.
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command conducted the investigation into Schultz.

CHINA-OLY-2016-CHN-FLAG

Army Intelligence Officer Pleads Guilty To Selling Defense Information To China

Department of Justice

Military

U.S. Army

A top former Trump administration official said over the weekend that communist China could be deterred from invading Taiwan but only if the U.S. takes the appropriate steps right now.
Former Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan while talking about his new book &#8220;The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan.&#8221;
&#8220;What is clear is that the dictator in Beijing, Xi Jinping, intends to try to take Taiwan, to annex it, by force if necessary,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We also know that this would be catastrophic for American prosperity and security. But my co-authors and I are actually quite optimistic that this is a war that can be deterred, but it means that we&#8217;ve got to take some steps urgently.&#8221;
&#8220;These are workable steps,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t require massive new investment. We&#8217;ve got the technologies we need.&#8221;
He said that Taiwan, Japan, and the United States needed to take specific steps to deter China&#8217;s plan to invade the country.
&#8220;For starters, we need to invest more in munitions making,&#8221; he said. &#8220;OK, so one of the things that the Chinese government is looking at is, would we be able to stay in a fight more than just the first, you know, the initial battle that would be involved in taking Taiwan? If they don&#8217;t think we have the industrial base — and right now we haven&#8217;t optimized our industrial base to do that.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think many Americans realize, our defense spending right now is less than half of what it was in the 1980s during the Cold War, and that was during the Reagan administration. We didn&#8217;t have to go to war, partly because we put the money into that,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Our military, in terms of manpower, is smaller today than it was on the eve of World War II. So, we have to put more money into it. But we also have to do things to optimize our defense spending so that it&#8217;s not guaranteed profits, no matter how inefficient the manufacturers are. There are things that we can do to super charge our military manufacturing to take advantage of our innovative base.&#8221;
WATCH:
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House Select Committee On China Holds Primetime Hearing

Trump NatSec Official Lays Out What The U.S. Must Do To Stop China From Invading Taiwan

Donald Trump

Communist China launched a large-scale military exercise around Taiwan on Thursday, saying it is a &#8220;powerful punishment&#8221; for Taiwan&#8217;s &#8220;separatist acts.&#8221; The drills come just two days after Taiwan swore in its new president Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has labeled a “dangerous separatist.”
China&#8217;s military drills involve fighter jets with live ammunition, destroyers, frigates, and missile speedboats, according to a Chinese state broadcasting network, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/22/asia/china-military-drills-taiwan-punishment-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The fighter jets reportedly carried out mock strikes against “high-value military targets.&#8221; China said the military drills will continue for two days.
Taiwan&#8217;s Defense Ministry called China&#8217;s aggression “irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability.” Taiwan is a self-governing island that the Chinese Communist Party claims is part of its territory while continuing to threaten a takeover of the nation home to over 23 million people. Taiwan&#8217;s Defense Ministry said it responded to China&#8217;s hostility by dispatching air, sea, and ground forces, according to CNN.
“We stand by with firm will and restraint. We seek no conflicts, but we will not shy away from one. We have the confidence to safeguard our national security,” the Taiwan Defense Ministry statement added.
Per reports, Taiwan&#8217;s Coast Guard also faced off with a Chinese Navy ship and ordered it to change course.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taiwan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taiwan</a>&#8216;s Coast Guard warned a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chinese?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chinese</a> Navy ship 548 (Type 054A frigate) to change course when it was 24 miles northwest of Pengjia Islet. <a href="https://t.co/be9La7zoGF">pic.twitter.com/be9La7zoGF</a>
— Indo-Pacific News &#8211; Geo-Politics &amp; Defense (@IndoPac_Info) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1793597614929383622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
President Lai was elected in January and inaugurated on Monday. Lai, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, has been an advocate for Taiwan&#8217;s independence and says that &#8220;Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent country called the Republic of China.&#8221;
The tensions between the CCP and Taiwan also concern U.S. leaders as over 100 American troops are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/taiwan-acknowledges-presence-of-u-s-troops-on-outlying-islands-c81c3b6b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stationed</a> on the island, providing training for Taiwanese soldiers. While official U.S. policy doesn&#8217;t require the U.S. to come to Taiwan&#8217;s aid if a war breaks out, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/house-bill/2479" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taiwan Relations Act</a> requires the U.S. to &#8220;provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character.&#8221;
Congress recently passed a massive aid package that included upgrading some of Taiwan&#8217;s military equipment and spending billions of dollars on countering China&#8217;s aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-military-assistance-e505267d2fc595be2d45b2e70d6d1ead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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China&#8217;s aggression toward Taiwan has intensified under President Joe Biden&#8217;s watch as Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping told Biden late last year that China is going to take control of Taiwan. While the president has suggested that the U.S. would help defend Taiwan if China invades, he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-us-does-not-support-taiwan-independence-2024-01-13/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C%20Jan%2013%20(Reuters),party%20a%20third%20presidential%20term." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in January that his administration stands by the decades of U.S. policy that doesn&#8217;t recognize Taiwanese independence.

The two sides clashed with missiles. trade war. Flag of the People’s Republic of China. Flag of the United States. Taiwan flag

China Launches ‘Powerful Punishment’ Military Drills Around Taiwan Days After New Leader Is Sworn In

China Launches 'Powerful Punishment' Military Drills Around Taiwan Days After New Leader Is Sworn In

Chinese Communist Party

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> signed into law on Wednesday legislation that provides billions of dollars in aid to several countries and forces TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company or face being banned in the United States.
The law <a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-israel-pacific-glance-0af96be97c47496f88506a21ebe1ddab#">provides</a> $60 billion for Ukraine, $17 billion for Israel, $9 billion for humanitarian aid, and $8 billion to support Taiwan. A separate bill that Biden signed forces TikTok to be sold off from ByteDance, which is controlled by communist China.
Biden said signing the law was a &#8220;good day for world peace&#8221; and that it would &#8220;make America safer&#8221; as he spoke about the support it provides to America&#8217;s partners and allies.
When speaking about the support that the bill provided to Israel, Biden highlighted Iran&#8217;s decades-long support for Islamic terrorist groups throughout the region.
The president then referenced the crisis on the U.S. southern border that worsened during the Biden administration after it reversed Trump-era policies.
&#8220;But there&#8217;s one thing this bill does not do: Border security,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;You know, just this year I proposed and negotiated and agreed to the strongest border security bill this country has ever, ever, ever seen.&#8221;
&#8220;It should have been included in this bill,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And I&#8217;m determined to get it done for the American people.&#8221;
The bill that Biden backed was widely <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-blasts-controversial-senate-border-bill-legalizing-illegal-immigration">criticized</a> by most Republicans as being a &#8220;farce&#8221; that they said was effectively nothing more than &#8220;legalizing illegal immigration.&#8221;
Biden did not mention Taiwan in his remarks and did not address the TikTok bill.
FBI Director Christopher Wray <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-director-wray-raises-alarm-about-terror-threat-warns-about-tiktok-raises-eyebrows-on-protest-remarks">addressed</a> the threat TikTok poses to the U.S. during an NBC News interview this week. He explained the FBI&#8217;s top concerns about the app.
“TikTok, for us, represents a national security concern,” Wray responded. “And the reason I say that is that TikTok’s parent company is beholden to the Chinese government. So that for us manifests itself in three specific ways: it has to do with the data, it has to do with the recommendation algorithm, it has to deal with the software. The data, that we’re talking about the ability to control or collect data on millions and millions of users and to use it for all sorts of influence operations, like driving their AI efforts, which are not remotely constrained by the rule of law.”
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Wray said that the Chinese were &#8220;currently attempting to steal our AI and hack American technology every day.&#8221;
When asked what he would say to the average American who uses TikTok and dismisses the threat that it poses, he said: &#8220;My message is you need to take into account who the Chinese government is, who the Chinese Communist Party is, even if for some reason, you don’t care about that, which I would argue you should. What about all of your friends, family members, classmates, co-workers, neighbors, etc, who are also participating and are connected to you through all those same things? Maybe they would care about the ability of the Chinese government and the Chinese intelligence services to access all that.&#8221;

President Biden Signs Foreign Aid Package

Biden Signs Foreign Aid, TikTok Bills Into Law

Border Crisis

Israel

Joe Biden

TikTok

Ukraine

Many House Democrats waved <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukrainian flags</a> on the floor of the House of Representatives on Saturday as members <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-95-billion-spending-package-for-ukraine-israel-and-taiwan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted to pass</a> a series of spending packages designating $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan while failing to address President Joe Biden&#8217;s border crisis.
A separate vote was taken on each aid proposal with $60 billion allocated for Ukraine, about $17 billion for Israel, $9 billion for humanitarian aid, and $8 billion to support Taiwan. Another bill that could ban TikTok if the company is not divested from Chinese control was also passed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faced pushback from some Republicans in the House who wanted him to hold votes on foreign aid spending until more funding for border security measures was secured. After the votes, Johnson said that global threats from Russia, Iran, and China necessitated American leadership and support for the spending.
Video from C-SPAN showed what appeared to be only Democrats waving small Ukraine flags after the bill was passed for Ukraine while they chanted &#8220;Ukraine!&#8221;
&#8220;Ukrainian flags fly as they chant Ukraine! Ukraine! in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives,&#8221; said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO). &#8220;America’s border isn’t secure but they voted to send tens of billions more to secure Ukraine’s. This is what Ukraine First, America Last looks like.&#8221;
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Ukrainian flags fly as they chant Ukraine! Ukraine! in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives
America’s border isn’t secure but they voted to send tens of billions more to secure Ukraine’s
This is what Ukraine First, America Last looks like. <a href="https://t.co/vxVvnWzNOl">pic.twitter.com/vxVvnWzNOl</a>
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1781752609742754168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared text messages that he received from ICE and Border Patrol officials following the passage of the spending package, some of which said: &#8220;Unbelievable,&#8221; &#8220;We&#8217;re screwed,&#8221; and &#8220;So messed up.&#8221;
Numerous Republicans slammed their Democrat counterparts for flying Ukrainian flags on the House floor.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) took to a microphone on the House floor and told the Democrats: &#8220;Put those damn flags away.&#8221;
&#8220;It is a disgrace to display any other flag than the American flag in the House Chamber!&#8221; she later added on social media.
&#8220;When was the last time you saw 200 Democrat politicians proudly waving the American flag?&#8221; asked Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN).
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When was the last time you saw 200 Democrat politicians proudly waving the American flag? <a href="https://t.co/scOTo6ufWQ">pic.twitter.com/scOTo6ufWQ</a>
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJimBanks/status/1781744796597395763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) posted on X: &#8220;Democrats are passing out Ukrainian flags on the Floor of the US House right now. They just voted to kill the border security bill and now they are waiving [sic] a foreign flag. AMERICA LAST!&#8221;
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🚨Democrats are passing out Ukrainian flags on the Floor of the US House right now. They just voted to kill the border security bill and now they are waiving a foreign flag. AMERICA LAST!
— Rep. Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMaryMiller/status/1781743038903074837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Ukrainian Flag

Democrats Wave Ukrainian Flags On House Floor While Chanting ‘Ukraine!’

Congress

Democrats

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> voted on Saturday to pass a series of spending packages designating $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
A separate vote was taken on each aid proposal with $60 billion allocated for Ukraine, about $17 billion for Israel, $9 billion for humanitarian aid, and $8 billion to support Taiwan. Another bill <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/20/us/politics/house-vote-aid-ukraine-israel.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that could</a> ban TikTok if the company is not taken out of Chinese control was also passed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faced pushback from some Republicans in the House who wanted him to hold votes on foreign aid spending until more funding for border security measures was secured. After the votes, Johnson <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?535090-1/house-speaker-holds-news-conference-foreign-aid-votes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that global threats from Russia, Iran, and China necessitated American leadership and support for the spending.
The Taiwan proposal passed 385-34 with support from 178 Republicans and 207 Democrats, and opposition from 34 Republicans. The Ukraine proposal passed 311-112 with 101 Republicans and 210 Democrats in support, and opposition from 112 Republicans. Israel aid passed 366-58 with support from 193 Republicans and 173 Democrats, and opposition from 21 Republicans and 37 Democrats.
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House today approved $95.3B in aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan as well as legislation forcing China to divest from TikTok with 1yr or app faces a ban in U.S.,using Russian seized assets to rebuild Ukraine &amp; new sanctions on Iran &amp; Russia.Package of 4 bills now heads to Senate. <a href="https://t.co/B2FdGIoynV">pic.twitter.com/B2FdGIoynV</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1781747283509342630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Ukraine aid includes $20.5 billion for European Command operations, $15.8 billion in security assistance, $13.4 billion for refilling U.S. weapons stockpiles, and $9.5 billion in forgivable economic loans, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/house-aid-package-ukraine-israel-tiktok-5688fff9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Wall Street Journal. Israel will get $13 billion in defense aid and $3.6 billion in security assistance while over $2 billion for military financing and $5.6 billion for deterrence will be allocated for the Indo-Pacific.
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/house-vote-ukraine-israel-taiwan-aid-04-20-24/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> the passage of the foreign spending package shortly after the vote.
“Today, members of both parties in the House voted to advance our national security interests and send a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage,” he said. “At this critical inflection point, they came together to answer history’s call, passing urgently-needed national security legislation that I have fought for months to secure.”
Leaders from Israel and Ukraine also thanked the House for passing the bills.
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Not everyone was happy with the votes, though, with some Republicans upset that Johnson did not force Democrats to make concessions on border security before putting the bills up for a vote.
“The House of Representatives and Speaker Mike Johnson don’t give a damn about the American people, our border, our jobs, our economy, or our national security,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1781713821834305639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Congress has already sent $113 BILLION to Ukraine. We shouldn’t send another penny.&#8221;
“This is the United States House of Representatives while our own border is wide open,” Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) posted on X alongside a picture of Democrats waving Ukrainian flags during the vote. “Unbelievable.”
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This is the United States House of Representatives while our own border is wide open. 
Unbelievable. <a href="https://t.co/kJS7yeEDWZ">pic.twitter.com/kJS7yeEDWZ</a>
&mdash; Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBarryMoore/status/1781744088846348367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Each of the aid proposals alongside the TikTok measure will now be bundled as one and sent to the Senate.

U.S. House Votes On Foreign Aid Package For Ukraine, Israel, And Taiwan

House Passes $95 Billion Spending Package For Ukraine, Israel, And Taiwan

Mike Johnson

National Debt

U.S. House of Representatives

A powerful earthquake hit off the coast of eastern Taiwan on Wednesday morning, leading officials to say at least <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/03/taiwan-japan-earthquake-tsunami-warning-74/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least nine</a> people were killed and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/world/asia/taiwan-earthquake.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds</a> of others were injured due to the natural disaster.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000m9g4/executive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measured</a> the earthquake at 7.4 magnitude, while Taiwan&#8217;s monitoring agency pegged it at 7.2, which would make it the strongest tremor to rock the island in 25 years, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-earthquake-tsunami-f086aac0c3082036d1ca77c01828fb28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.
News reports said buildings suffered damage, and dozens of people became stuck or lost in places such as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-earthquake-tsunami-f086aac0c3082036d1ca77c01828fb28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quarries</a> and national parks. Search-and-rescue teams have been deployed to reach people who are trapped or stranded.
Multiple aftershocks followed the original quake, which led to tsunami warnings in places such as Japan and the Philippines. As reported by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/03/taiwan-japan-earthquake-tsunami-warning-74/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>, Shanghai and China&#8217;s southeastern provinces even felt the earthquake.
&#8220;Disaster response is underway following this morning’s 7.2 earthquake and aftershocks,&#8221; Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen <a href="https://twitter.com/iingwen/status/1775424526404538734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;I’m deeply grateful for the messages of support we have received from around the world, and to our first responders for their life-saving work.&#8221;
Tsai added, &#8220;My heart is with everyone affected. Please keep in touch with loved ones, and stay safe.&#8221;
Images and videos posted to social media showed bridges shaking, debris falling, and even water from swimming pools raining down from towers.
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Taiwan was struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years on Wednesday.
Scenes of water cascading down the side of buildings and debris falling onto the streets below were captured. ⁣ <a href="https://t.co/my5Rkn16uB">pic.twitter.com/my5Rkn16uB</a>
&mdash; AccuWeather (@accuweather) <a href="https://twitter.com/accuweather/status/1775517766373589447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
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National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson released a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/03/statement-from-national-security-council-spokesperson-adrienne-watson-on-the-earthquake-impacting-taiwan/">statement</a> that said officials at the White House are &#8220;monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to monitor its potential impact on Japan.&#8221;
She went on, &#8220;The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those affected are in our prayers.&#8221;
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/world/asia/taiwan-earthquake.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> Taiwan has been working to improve its early warning system and roll out new building codes to reinforce buildings over the years.
The island is regularly shaken by tremors given that it is situated in the <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ring-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacific &#8220;Ring of Fire&#8221;</a> known for active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
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CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/02/asia/taiwan-earthquake-tsunami-warning-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that hit in 2018 near the same area where the tremor happened on Wednesday, Hualien County, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 300 others.
In September of 1999, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan that killed more than 2,400 people, injured 100,000 more, and caused <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-kills-thousands-in-taiwan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">billions of dollars</a> in damage.
USGS <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/today/index.php?month=4&amp;day=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> one of the world&#8217;s deadliest earthquakes shook Taiwan in April of 1935, leading to 3,270 deaths, 12,000 injuries, and 39,000 rooms destroyed or severely damaged.

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