White House: Biden Considered ‘Not Ideal’ ‘Timing’ in His Response to Spy Balloon

On Monday’s broadcast of “CNN Newsroom,” White House Senior Adviser for Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms stated that the timing of the Chinese spy balloon was “very unfortunate” given the heightened tensions between the two nations and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned trip to the country and the “not ideal” timing “is something that the President has taken into consideration in terms of his response and also in listening to our national security advisers on how best to address this issue.”

Host Bianna Golodryga asked, “[I]n terms of international concerns, this surveillance balloon was significant enough to cancel his top diplomat from a planned trip to China over the weekend to meet with President Xi. Obviously, relations are very heightened right now in terms of where things stand between the two countries. They were trying to find a sort of balance and a leveling spot to begin with. How big of a setback is this in terms of U.S.-China relations?”

Bottoms responded, “Well, it’s unfortunate the timing, of course, is very unfortunate, but we know that this is not the first time and will not likely be the last time that the Chinese have sent surveillance balloons over the continental U.S., as we’ve learned. We know that it was also done under the previous administration. But the President, again, has emphasized, even as a candidate and as President, how important it is for the United States to be re-established on the world stage and that’s the reason he has leaned in so heavily on the importance of NATO, that we be strong together. And certainly, the timing of this is not ideal, but it is something that the President has taken into consideration in terms of his response and also in listening to our national security advisers on how best to address this issue.”

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