Fox News host and former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany warned Monday that President Joe Biden’s gaffes could be potentially dangerous.
The White House walked back the president’s claims that the U.S. would be willing to intervene militarily in the event that China invades Taiwan, saying the administration will continue to uphold the “One China” policy and send military aid to the Taiwanese.
“It’s always an unnamed, anonymous White House official that cleans up the blunder,” she said. “Look, these gaffes are alarming, they’re weird to watch, they’re disconcerting when it’s the president. But when it’s in the context of foreign policy, it takes on an entirely different set of alarm. Thinking that you can set off an enemy, a foe, a world power. And in the case with this Taiwan remark, who is it that cleaned it up?”
“The White House official that declined to be unnamed. In the case of suggesting regime change in Russia, who is it that cleaned it up? The official line was ‘within minutes a White House official was telling reporters it was not the case,'” she continued.
McEnany then flashed back to Biden’s remarks on chemical weapons in Warsaw, Poland when he told the press the U.S. “would respond with military action” if Russia used the weapons in Ukraine. She then pointed to his accidental remark to the 82nd Airborne stationed Warsaw that suggested that they would set foot in Ukraine.
“This is foreign policy, you can provoke enemies,” McEnany said.
Panelist Joey Jones similarly said it is concerning that the president and the White House do not appear to be on the same page regarding foreign policy issues. (RELATED: ‘I Personally Kind Of Like It’: Republicans Praise Biden’s Declaration To Fight For Taiwan)
“We should have leaders that are very strong, stern and very solid thinking on this,” he said. “And right now it doesn’t look that way. I want to know if my president is postured and mentally focused on the idea of going to war with China over Taiwan. And right now I can tell you that his words say one thing, his administration says another. That’s a scary place to be in.”
The president has repeatedly vowed to respond militarily if China invades Taiwan, making the remarks most recently at a joint press conference in Tokyo.
“We agree with the ‘One China’ policy,” Biden answered. “We signed on to it, and all the attendant agreements made from there, but the idea that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is [not] appropriate. It would dislocate the entire region and be another action, similar to what happened in Ukraine.”
A White House official then said U.S. policy has not changed, but rather remains committed to its current policies.
“As the president said, our policy has not changed,” a White House official said afterwards. “He reiterated our ‘One China’ policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself.”
