Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., explained the need to bolster support to Taiwan and Putin's recent nuclear test and the message to international adversaries.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Steve war on ukraine dot: this is the
steve war on ukraine dot. This is the
video
successfully are tested a
nuclear capable missile warning.
The test, l dot su, make russias
enemies. Think twice before
threatening russia
here to react, is arkansas g dot, op,
senator and committee member Tom
cotton who joins us now
good morning to you senator
good morning, ainsley
good to be on with all of you
good to have you on.
This is called the satan two oss
satan, which sounds chilling.
Why are they doing this now?
Because the western countries
are starting to pledge further
heavy weaponry aid to ukraine?
Well, ainsley. Russia is
testing new missiles because
current missiles are very old.
This is a test we knew about.
They announced it in advance of
the arms control agreement.
It is a difference between
Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.
He goes forward with his tests
and uses it to threaten the
west.
We also have routine missile
tests that we use for our
current missile forces.
Yet Joe Biden earlier this
month, canceled a routine missile
test because he didnt want to
do anything that would be
provocative or escalatory.
Vladimir Putin sees that the
west is still on the back foot.
Second, russia has a ten to one
advantage on what you might call
tactical or battlefield nukes
nuclear warheads, small enough to
go on artillery shell.
We started in the trump
administration to try to restore
a sea launch cruise missile
nuclear capable that the Obama
administration defunded.
We did that because we wanted
vladimir putin to think that we
had the ability and the will to
counter those smaller nuclear
wednesday. Precisely so he
wouldnt be emboldened to use
them.
Third, we also need to upgrade
our nuclear missiles.
They are fifty years old
democrats like Elizabeth Warren
in congress are drying to stop
that.
In fact, liberals like Bernie
sanders actually are legislation
that would defund our nuclear
missiles and give the money
instead to tony fauci and the
cdc, so they can keep making
toddlers wear masks on
airplanes,
unbelievable
lets. If we can pivot over to by
the way they just did a poll
the they asked president
bidens response to the russian
invasion of ukraine.
They asked the american people.
How far is he doing?
Fifty four percent said not tough
enough.
Thirty six percent about right,
eight percent, said too tough.
You stand on not tough enough.
I get it but over to what is
happening with china.
This directly effects it
yesterday in an extraordinary
meeting between our secretary of
defense and theirs,
they warned us that warned us
not to do anything because they
consider taiwan part of the
of china,
and they basically told us it
would shatter our relationships
if we decided to arm taiwan.
What should we do?
Well, Brian, we should be
doing in Taiwan exactly what we
should have been doing in
ukraine over the last year
before russia invaded.
We should arm taiwan even more
than we have done for the last
forty years.
We should give them the kind of
weapons like anti aircraft,
missiles or antiship missiles or
smart mines for the taiwan
straight. That would deter china
from ever going for the juggler
put troops there, not in large
numbers, but in numbers
sufficient to train the
taiwanese military
train them on new weapons that
we might provide them,
train them on ways to reform
their reserve system, which they
really need to defend. If china
goes for the juggler in taiwan,
finally, we should be very
explicit with china, which we
have never been that if they
invade taiwan, we will come to
taiwans aid. Respect allies like
japan and south korea would
follow us on.
That was, and just a word on this
meeting
its disappointing to the see
the secretary of defense did not
push back aggressively on this
threatening threatening rhetoric
from his counterpart in China. It
reminds me of last year when the
secretary of state met with his
counterpart in alaska and the
chinese foreign minister, berated
tony blinken, with blm talking
points and tony blinken took it
and apologized for america.
We need our secretaries when
theyre meeting with their
counterparts around the world to
be firm and strong in the
deference of americas, interest
and allies,
all right,
senator Tom Tom cotton. Joining. U.
Transcript generated on 2022-11-25.