RULE OF LAW – Halting the Radicalization of America

Dr. Gina Loudon, prominent TV personality and Trump 2020 advisor, hosted a panel with Representatives Jim Banks (R– Indiana) and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas). The two veterans reflected the same cool, calm communication style with the caliber of knowledge many in their fields should seek to emulate.

Banks, a former Navy Lieutenant and veteran of the War in Afghanistan, described China as morally culpable for the outbreak of the coronavirus and China’s lack of intensity in notifying the rest of the world:

“By China preventing the CDC, the WHO in January from coming in to study COVID-19 at the beginnings of the outbreak, by refusing to allow two international organizations and an American organization, the DCD, to study those, Robert O’Brien the national security advisory says that 90% of cases involving COVID-19 would have been avoided if we could have gone in in January when we tried to, to investigate the beginnings of COVID-19 and to better understand it. That alone is why China is morally culpable, why they should be held accountable for the spread of the coronavirus.”[1]

In the shadow of the upcoming election there is a stark difference in trajectory with how the U.S. will work with China. Banks even alluded to this by praising the current administration for their role in holding China accountable, while others in political positions have been apathetic, or even worse, implicit in allowing China to run rogue:

“Right now we fortunately have an administration in the white house who is intent upon holding them accountable but I fear what that’s going to look like after this next election if things change and we go back to an era in American politics where we turn a blind eye to, not just the coronavirus but to a lot of activities on the part of the Chinese Communist Party where we don’t hold them accountable.”[2]

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL and Purple Heart recipient, echoed Banks’ remarks and added some more fuel to the fire of needed accountability towards China:

“China knew there was a virus. They cut off travel domestically inside of China between Wuhan and other cities in China, but not internationally… we can question their intent but we do know their actions. They did allow it to spread. And they also spread misinformation through their contacts at the. World health organization and even as of recently they would not allow scientists to investigate the origins of the virus.”[3]

Crenshaw further remarked that it’s not enough to say that China was wrong, but went on to express the need for a shift in our international approach to China, not just with the US but with our allies:

“We need a realignment, we need a change in paradigm in how we view China. We need to view them as what they are. It’s an adversarial relationship…We have a liberal global world order that has long been protected by the United States. The Chinese want to take that over and replace it with a mercantilist system with an authoritarian regime run by them. That’s how they operate domestically and I think they want to export that internationally.”

On the difference between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Crenshaw note that Biden’s approach to China has been consistent throughout his political career, which has been long, and Biden’s approach does not promote the type of accountability needed towards China:

“Biden’s been in office for quite a long time, well before I was born,  and he is part of this notion that we should help China’s rise, and that if we do that it will enter the liberal global worlds order in a responsible way and will adhere to our values – that is simply not true.”

Crenshaw told Dr. Loudon that he has introduced a bill that would, according to Crenshaw, “let you sue China.”

[1] Timestamp 2:20:23 – 2:21:09

[2] Timestamp 2:21:35 – 2:21:57

[3] 2:20:50 – 2:23:20