Bloomberg News is reporting that the U.S. government was aware of the Chinese spy balloon approaching the country a week ago but decided to just hope nobody would notice it. The reported reason the Biden administration didn’t want to make it public was because a “high-profile trip” (SoS Blinken’s now-postponed trip to Beijing) was at stake:
NEW: Bloomberg reports the Biden admin was first aware the Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. airspace one week ago on 1/28, and had opted not to inform the American public about it until the Bilings Gazette published a photo of the balloon on Thursday. https://t.co/kTXFWpUalP
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) February 4, 2023
Billings***
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) February 4, 2023
From Bloomberg:
As it turns out, US authorities were well aware of the unidentified object that had entered American airspace on Jan. 28, that had then left and re-entered over North Idaho on Tuesday. But with such a high-profile trip at stake, keeping it on the down-low was key.
By the time the thing became visible in Montana, President Joe Biden had already been briefed and the White House was scrambling to decide whether to blast it from the sky.
The gravity of the situation was only exacerbated by Montana being home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses a large portion of the US’s Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.
[…]
For now, the White House opted not to inform the American public. Events, however, soon forced Biden’s hand.
The “events” that forced Biden’s hand started when a Montana newspaper noticed the balloon and published a photo.
"Most transparent administration in history"?
— Sandy 〽️ (@RightGlockMom) February 4, 2023
Right?
Trump would already be impeached
— ericontrarian (@eriContrarian) February 4, 2023
Classic Biden administration – they'll do as they damned well please until they get caught.
Then, they'll respond, "You're making too much of this."
— Keith Burgin – The Toxic Something Podcast (@KeithBurgin) February 4, 2023
See “banning gas stoves” for another example of that.
Unreal yet not unbelievable https://t.co/Y0ycWimelM
— Skabz* (@_Skabz_) February 4, 2023
Makes you wonder what else is happening that we're not made
aware of. https://t.co/o8188j9esD— 💫Queen of Seventeen 1️⃣7️⃣✝️❤️🇺🇲🥃 (@AreYouAwaQe) February 4, 2023
The answer likely is “a lot of stuff.”
Currently the Chinese spy balloon has been spotted moving east over North Carolina.
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Related:
Pentagon spox’s briefing raised more questions about the Chinese spy balloon than it answered
OUCH! Border Patrol Union weighs in on the Chinese spy balloon situation (Biden hardest hit)
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes is trying to think of a reason to care about the China spy balloon story
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