The Biden administration has come under fire in recent weeks over a number of issues, but the latest controversy is the decision to wait to tell the public that a Chinese spy balloon was flying over the U.S.
The balloon was spotted above Montana, which is home to the Malmstrom Air Force Base, where Minuteman III nuclear missiles are kept. While North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected the balloon Jan. 28 as it floated over Alaska, President Joe Biden was only informed of it Tuesday.
On Monday, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell grilled Democratic Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes on the White House’s decision to wait to tell the public about the balloon’s presence. Mitchell questioned why Congress had not been notified right away, and Himes admitted that it was a fair question.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Biden administration’s decision to use armed forces to shoot down the balloon was “clearly an excessive reaction that seriously violates international convention.”
The administration has also received criticism in recent weeks over its decision to withhold from the public for months that classified documents had been found at Biden’s personal residence in November, days before the midterms. The public was only made aware of the documents’ discovery after CBS broke the news Jan. 10.
This is reflective of a worrying trend from the Biden administration: an unwillingness to take responsibility for their own actions and lack of transparency. Not only is the public being left in the dark about important security matters, but the decisions being made are also potentially dangerous.
The Chinese spy balloon may have been shot down and the classified documents may no longer be a threat, but what other security threats is the Biden administration keeping from the public? How much danger has been put on the American people due to the White House’s unwillingness to tell the truth?
The Biden administration has shown that they are not to be trusted when it comes to security matters, and it is up to the American people to hold them accountable and demand greater transparency. We must ensure that our safety and security is not jeopardized by a secretive White House.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
