Gowdy: U.S. Can Hit China ‘Where It Hurts the Most’ for Hoarding PPE

With China reportedly covering up the coronavirus outbreak and hoarding important medical materials such as Personal Protective Equipment to corner the market and the White House mulling taking action against them, former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) said in a Tuesday appearance on “Fox & Friends” the United States could hit China “where it hurts the most” to hold them accountable.

Instead of combating China in the “toothless” courts, Gowdy suggested the Trump administration can “ostracize them on the world stage,” not allow their students to study abroad and deduct money that the country owes China.

“There are international entities, whether it’s the United Nations, the World Health Organization, there’s the International Court of Justice, there are actually treaties that govern the interactions of countries as it relates to infectious disease. But those are toothless,” Gowdy stated. “You’ve got the American courts, but you have to get around the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act, and if you get around that, you’ve got proof problems. I mean, how is an individual American supposed to get information from China when the rest of the world cannot?”

He continued, “The Trump administration doesn’t need to go to court to hold China accountable. You can hit them where it hurts the most. You can ostracize them on the world stage, quit letting their students come here and study, you can make them a pariah, but most importantly you can start deducting the amount of money we owe them and other countries owe them, deduct our costs including the loss of life, but all of the other costs, start deducting that, and then see what China’s reaction is.”

Gowdy went on to say the United States should be “less dependent on other countries” for important items and manufacture them locally.

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent