U.S. Senator Says Congress Is Quietly Pushing For A Conflict With China

(PatrioticPost.com)- Connecticut Democrat Senator Chris Murphy last week claimed some in Congress are “rooting” for war with China after Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri called for sanctions over the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental United States earlier this month.

On “CNN This Morning” last Thursday, co-host Poppy Harlow asked Murphy about Hawley’s call for a “forceful response” from the US, prompting the Connecticut Democrat to say he worries that some lawmakers are “rooting” for a conflict with China.

Murphy told Harlow that there have always been war hawks and “warmongers” in Washington who think the country is “better off” when it is perpetually at war.

Murphy conceded that it was “absolutely unacceptable” for the Chinese spy balloon to travel the length of the US. But, he added, there were repercussions for China’s actions, namely, Secretary of State Blinken postponed his scheduled trip to Beijing.

The Democrat senator said he wants to make certain that the United States doesn’t “sort of slip into conflict with China” since the US does $6 trillion in trade with the country every year.

Murphy said the United States should view China as “an adversary,” but added that this should not result in “making mistakes” every time something “shows up in the headlines.” Instead, Murphy added, the US should maintain a policy of “managed competition” with Beijing.

The US military shot down the Chinese spy balloon on February 4 just off the coast of South Carolina. In the week preceding, the balloon passed over sensitive infrastructure and military bases, including Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses ICBMs, and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri where B-2 Spirit stealth bombers operate.

China maintains that the spy balloon was a civilian-owned craft that veered off course.

Senator Murphy told Poppy Harlow that he believes China is “very embarrassed” by the incident, adding that he thinks there might be “evidence” that the balloon’s trip across America was unintentional.

Murphy added that the US should see how China moves forward and judge it “by its actions.”