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'Shoot. It. Down': Republicans call for Chinese spy balloon to be blown out of sky
Washington Examiner ^ | 2/3/2023 | Virginia Aabram

Posted on 02/03/2023 10:50:48 AM PST by Right Wing Vegan

GOP lawmakers are calling for the United States to shoot down the alleged Chinese spy balloon found floating over Montana on Wednesday.

The Pentagon said it would not shoot down the balloon, arguing it "does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time," and China blamed the incursion into U.S. airspace on a civilian aircraft that had deviated off course. Montana is home to sensitive nuclear military installations.

"It was a mistake to not shoot down that Chinese spy balloon when it was over a sparsely populated area," Sen. Marco Rubio (FL), the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, tweeted. "This is not some hot air balloon, it has a large payload of sensors roughly the size of two city buses & the ability to maneuver independently."

"President Biden should stop coddling and appeasing the Chinese communists," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) tweeted on Friday. "Bring the balloon down now and exploit its tech package, which could be an intelligence bonanza."

A defense official said Thursday the intelligence value of the destroyed balloon would be minimal and that the Defense Department doesn't want to risk hurting people on the ground.

Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) dismissed what he called "bowing" to China's "provocation."

"Shoot. It. Down. The Chinese spy balloon is clear provocation. In Montana we do not bow. We shoot it down. Take the shot," he tweeted on Thursday.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) emphatically agreed, saying the Pentagon's argument on safety "doesn't sell."

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) told Fox News the presence of the spy balloon is "disturbing."

Why hasn't the Biden administration shot this spy balloon down?" she asked. "It's very disturbing to know that it's still up there in the air near our military installations. The time is now. Let's get this thing out of the air."

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the U.S. government continues to monitor the balloon closely.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Canada; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: Arkansas; US: Florida; US: Georgia; US: Montana; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: arkansas; balloongate; canada; cccp; ccp; china; florida; georgia; marcorubio; marjorietaylorgreene; montana; nancymace; patrickryder; putin; russia; russiaiscommunist; ryanzinke; southcarolina; sovietunion; spyballoon; tomcotton; virginiaaabram; virginiaabram; xi
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1 posted on 02/03/2023 10:50:48 AM PST by Right Wing Vegan
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To: Right Wing Vegan

Can’t something be tied to it and drag it down?


2 posted on 02/03/2023 10:51:53 AM PST by Jonty30 (THE URGE TO SAVE THE WORLD IS ALMOST ALWAYS AN URGE TO RULE IT)
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To: Right Wing Vegan

Updated location

New Video: Chinese surveillance balloon Spotted near Kansas City
https://rumble.com/v28829k-chinese-surveillance-balloon-spotted-near-kansas-city.html?mref=2kir9&mrefc=67


3 posted on 02/03/2023 10:53:03 AM PST by janetjanet998
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To: Right Wing Vegan

Not going to happen. That risks the payoffs Joe and Hunter are getting from the Chi-coms.


4 posted on 02/03/2023 10:53:24 AM PST by econjack
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To: Right Wing Vegan

This is from the Kansas city national weather service office

https://twitter.com/NWSKansasCity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1621562137717141505%7Ctwgr%5Ee1bc6d84a64b296aa66e07937ef7236a7c4a5354%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.godlikeproductions.com%2Fforum1%2Fmessage5350986%2Fpg9


5 posted on 02/03/2023 10:53:33 AM PST by rdl6989 ( )
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To: Right Wing Vegan

Better to capture it.


6 posted on 02/03/2023 10:53:36 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: janetjanet998

Spying on the CHIEFS!......................


7 posted on 02/03/2023 10:53:52 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Right Wing Vegan

if they did not support the CCP against their voters,
they would have the White Hats
seal it in a large bag first, of aluminum.


8 posted on 02/03/2023 10:53:59 AM PST by Diogenesis (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: Jonty30

Brandon does not want to be in a situation where his appeasement of China is made more obvious because proof of what this thing is brought down and he does nothing about it.


9 posted on 02/03/2023 10:54:42 AM PST by Right Wing Vegan (Pot legalization licenses every degenerate pothead piece of trash to force drug neighbors.)
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To: janetjanet998

It is reckless and irresponsible to allow this, and humiliating. Precursor for EMP attack on the US grid? Where are the high power lasers?


10 posted on 02/03/2023 10:54:43 AM PST by The_Media_never_lie (Remember August 8!)
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To: Jonty30

no ... it is invincible ... there will be a movie about it someday ...


11 posted on 02/03/2023 10:54:45 AM PST by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: Right Wing Vegan

One thing you can say about Joe Biden: he stays bought.


12 posted on 02/03/2023 10:55:09 AM PST by Flag_This
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To: Right Wing Vegan

“Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the U.S. government continues to monitor the balloon closely.”

So they put it on a watch list?

For the FIB that provides total closure for an issue.


13 posted on 02/03/2023 10:55:20 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: Right Wing Vegan

You all are crazy if you think Biden is going to order the military to shoot down his business partners balloon.


14 posted on 02/03/2023 10:55:30 AM PST by eyeamok (founded in cynicism, wrapped in sarcasm)
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To: Right Wing Vegan

I originally thought about a small puncture so that it would deflate slowly and land fairly softly, but what if it was full of Wuhan tricks?


15 posted on 02/03/2023 10:56:03 AM PST by ryderann
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To: Right Wing Vegan

At the very least it’s naïve on the part of the Democrats to think anything out of China doesn’t have nefarious intent.


16 posted on 02/03/2023 10:56:05 AM PST by ProudDeplorable (Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty. ~ Ronald Reagan)
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To: Right Wing Vegan

Nice method for delivering an EMP device.


17 posted on 02/03/2023 10:56:46 AM PST by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
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To: Right Wing Vegan

This is happening right now.
The whole world is watching, studying our reaction or lack thereof to an ongoing threat. Time for some calculated risks, Mr. Biden.
Meanwhile, why not call Antony Blinken home. Any so called negotiations can be postponed. The Chinese are actively showing their disrespect for and lack of fear of the USA.


18 posted on 02/03/2023 10:57:16 AM PST by lee martell
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To: Right Wing Vegan

Honestly, yes it is a spy balloon. We also have high altitude surveillance flights, satellites, and probably our own balloons over China and more this very minute. This is what countries do to each other. Heck we all do it to our allies as well as rivals. This is a big nothing that conveniently swivels rube’s heads away from real issues.


19 posted on 02/03/2023 10:57:29 AM PST by WalkerinSC
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To: Right Wing Vegan

Why haven’t they shot it down? It there something in the balloon that they are not telling us about?


20 posted on 02/03/2023 10:59:06 AM PST by tapatio
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