Gallagher: We Can't Allow What Happened in Ukraine to Happen in Taiwan
Today, Rep. Gallagher (R-WI) joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business and America Reports on Fox News to discuss Biden's inflation crisis and what is needed to defend Taiwan against the growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party.
Watch his interview on Fox Business HERE, watch his interview on Fox News HERE, or read highlights from the conversations below.
On Biden's inflation crisis:
"The President is living in economic fantasyland. He is obviously trying to blame anyone but himself. This attempt to blame Putin, as if gas prices weren't going up for the year prior to the invasion on February 24th, is just pathetic. And you know what else will stoke inflation? If they go forward with this truly crazy proposal to cancel student debt. That's inflationary. It also amounts to us saying to people that didn't go to college, that they're on the hook for paying for those who did, or for people that did pay off their student loans that they now have to pay for people who didn't. It's absolutely insane. And then finally, what is the weak link of of our strategy against Russia right now? Well, it's our crazy energy policy. The Biden administration has not changed course when it comes to their war on domestic energy production. Gas in Green Bay, Wisconsin this weekend was at $4.09 at the pump. That's crazy... it's the administration's policies that are causing this."
On mobilizing our defense industrial base:
"...The other opportunity we have is to really revitalize our defense industrial base, so that we can start stockpiling munitions. We've blown through seven years worth of Javelin missiles in Ukraine, and 25% of our Stinger stockpile. These are missile systems that we are going to need going forward, particularly if we are going to try and help Taiwan defend itself from a prospective Chinese invasion of the island. And that is what really worries me over the next few years."
On the growing threat from China:
"Xi Jinping keeps telling us over and over again that he wants to take Taiwan by force if necessary, and we ignore those warnings at our own peril. He gave a New Year's speech in which he talked about getting the country ready to suffer, preparing the country, the necessity of ruining the country internally in order to build it anew. This is his lifelong ambition. And we would be naive to think that just because Vladimir Putin has encountered some friction in Ukraine, that Xi is suddenly abandoning his lifelong ambition. And the same things that make Taiwan difficult geographically for them to completely take over make it very difficult to resupply. So the lesson is that we need to get them the weapons and equipment they need now, before it's too late. We cannot afford to have happen in Taiwan what happened in Ukraine where we wait, we wait, we delay assistance. We put all our eggs in the basket of sanctions, and soft power, and a ruthless thug ignores it and invades a country. We cannot allow that to happen in Taiwan."