Senate Judiciary Committee member John Kennedy (R-La.) has ripped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for making her Taiwan trip a partisan one as it lacked the participation of a Republican lawmaker.
In an interview with Fox News, Kennedy contended that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) should have been added to the congressional delegation.
Kennedy said, “I’m glad the speaker went, but if she really wanted to demonstrate strength from the United States of America, she would have brought Kevin McCarthy along.”
Pelosi has invited Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas.), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to join her trip but he could not make it due to a pre-arranged personal engagement.
Members of the congressional delegation on her trip were all Democrat lawmakers including Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Suzan DelBene (D- Wash.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.).
Even though he confirmed his support for Pelosi’s trip to the democratically governed island, Kennedy called the visit “a show” that helped the House speaker to deflect from hot issues allegedly caused by Democrat policies.
“And the added benefit of all this is that we’re not talking about inflation or crime or the open border or her husband’s stock trades,” Kennedy said.
According to Kennedy, Pelosi made the legacy trip to get recognition even at the risk of escalating the tension between the United States and China.
“This entire exercise began with Speaker Pelosi’s ego. I think she thought up this trip as a way to say, well, look at me one more time,” the Republican lawmaker said.
“Now, when you’re talking about a nuclear war with China, you should take your ego out back and shoot it,” he added.
“But that’s not Speaker Pelosi’s way. She knows, after the midterms, she’s not going to be speaker anymore. She may not be in Congress anymore,” Kennedy said.
Support for Taiwan Independence
Kennedy further referred to the statement from White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby who reiterated that the United States does not support Taiwan’s independence, and expects cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.The senator, on the contrary, confirmed his support for Taiwan’s independence and believes his view is shared by a majority of Americans.
In his opinion, America should make clear how it would go to Taiwan’s defense in case the island faces a Chinese attack.
“Instead of all talking about it, let’s game out how we would defend Taiwan in case Xi tries to make a move. And that will likely deter, if not prevent, a move by President Xi,” he said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Aug. 2, in spite of continued threats of violence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its propaganda organs.
Pelosi issued a public statement upon arrival in Taiwan, celebrating Taiwan and the United States’ shared commitment to democratic values in the face of adversity.
“Our Congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy,” Pelosi said in the statement.
Her visit has gained growing bipartisan applause with 26 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), signing a joint statement on Aug. 2 announcing support for House Speaker’s trip to the self-ruled island.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Pelosi for comments.
Andrew Thornebrooke and Eva Fu contributed to this report.
