During a classified briefing for lawmakers at the Capitol on Thursday, tense discussions ensued over the Biden administration’s handling of the Chinese spy balloon. The briefing included an explanation for the decision-making process regarding when to shoot down the balloon. According to The Hill, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) led a firm criticism of the administration’s decision to allow the balloon to fly over U.S. territory for days before shooting it down over the Atlantic. Speaking to The Hill, Greene said, “I tore ‘em to pieces.”
The Hill reports, “Republicans have criticized the administration’s decision to wait to shoot down the balloon until it was over water — which allowed the device to travel through several states across the country. President Biden said he ordered the U.S. military to shoot down the balloon ‘as soon as possible,’ and his national security officials determined that ‘the best time to do that was when it got over water.'”
Greene recalled saying President Biden’s handling of the Chinese surveillance balloon made him “look like a fool” and “weak.” Greene said she was still convinced that the administration did not handle the situation properly after the briefing, noting that they were only giving excuses which she is no longer interested in hearing.
Although some Democrats have tried pushing the idea that allowing the balloon to drift over the United States provided the government with more information, Republicans say they have yet to share what information was gained that wasn’t already known. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said, “I’m [an] intel guy by trade. And I read all the paper articles about it. I would just say I didn’t learn a whole lot…I didn’t come away a whole lot wiser,” according to The Hill.
After the briefing, Greene shared that she was not convinced that the administration made the right decision, adding that she and other Republicans still believe “they made the wrong move.”