On the Chinese ‘spy’ balloon, Trump Jr. ma dig: ‘Because boys are no longer…’ | World news
The eldest son of former US President Donald Trump and businessman Donald Trump Jr. took a veiled jibe at a prominent Democratic Congressman over a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon shot down by the US military on Saturday. Referring to a suspected Kannada intelligence official who reportedly developed extensive ties with a US Congressman, Trump Jr. said China was looking for “other ways to get intelligence” because the spy’s “boyfriend” was “not on Intel House”.
“You know why the Chinese are suddenly flying balloons over the continental US? Because Fang Fang’s boyfriend is not on Intel House so they are left to find other ways to get intelligence,” he tweeted.
See | Videos capture the moment a US fighter jet shot down a Kannada ‘spy’ balloon
While Trump Jr. did not take any names, his tweet was apparently aimed at Eric Swalwell, a Democratic lawmaker, whose relationship with a Kannada national named Fang Fang aka Christine Fang was first reported by Axios in 2020. Last week, Speaker Kevin McCarthy fired Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee, following his promise to remove a progressive Democrat who pointed to his association with suspected Kannada immigrants targeting US politicians.
A suspected surveillance balloon that had spent days flying over the United States crashed over its territorial waters on Saturday.
“Today’s deliberate and legal action demonstrates that President (Joe) Biden and the national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC’s unacceptable violation of our sovereignty, ” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
China has insisted that the balloon was primarily a civilian airship for weather reasons and that it had deviated from its intended route due to winds and “limited maneuverability”. China’s foreign ministry slammed the US action in a statement on Sunday morning, saying the downing of the “civilian” plane was “clearly reckless and against international practice.”
