The recent move by the Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) to terminate the China Initiative is a “big mistake,” former President Donald Trump said at a Feb. 26 press conference prior to his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Trump also issued remarks on the current situation in Ukraine during the press conference.
“I’m surprised to see that. I don’t think we should be doing that. ... I think it’s a big mistake,” Trump said of the DOJ’s decision to terminate the program, in response to a question from Epoch Times senior editor Jan Jekielek. “China, as you know, is a very big player, but it can be a very dangerous player in so many different ways.”
But there have been growing concerns from the civil rights community that the program was fielding “a narrative of intolerance and bias,” Olsen said. He also said the academic and scientific community had raised concerns over the department’s prosecutions of certain fraud cases involving research grants, alleging that the prosecutions could ultimately “lead to a chilling atmosphere for scientists and scholars” and threaten academic research and economic development in the long term.
Taiwan May Suffer ‘Similar’ Situation to Ukraine
CPAC is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials that started in 1974. This year, the conference was held at Rosen Shingle Creek hotel in Orlando, Florida, from Feb. 24 to Feb. 27.Trump told reporters backstage that with regard to the invasion of Ukraine, he believes that “a similar thing” could happen in Taiwan when asked about how concerned he was that China might encroach on Taiwan.
“The way we withdrew from Afghanistan was one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of our country—I actually think that if that didn’t take place, you might not have what’s happening in Ukraine right now,” Trump said. “I think when Putin saw that, and when President Xi of China witnessed that ... I really think that’s a contributing factor to what’s happening today in Ukraine, and I think it’s going to also lead to a similar thing happening in Taiwan.
“They wanted to get the Olympics finished, the Olympics have now finished. Let’s see what happens.”
Trump told reporters that the current conflict in Ukraine could spread into “a world war” and that it “should have never started.”
“I just think it’s a shame what’s going on, there was no reason for it. It shouldn’t have happened,” Trump said. “It would not have happened if our administration were in place.
“What’s happening today is so sad when you watch it, when you see what’s going on.”
When asked whether the situation makes him want to run for president again, Trump said, “I just want to do what’s right for the country, and that’s what we'll do.
“We‘ll do what’s right for the country at the right time. We’ll let you know.”