Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has accused the Biden administration of being “soft on China” and said that the country is “running this White House.”
McDaniel made the comments in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. She said that the Biden administration has been “weak” on China and that the country has been taking advantage of the United States.
“China is running this White House,” McDaniel said. “They’re taking advantage of us. They’re not respecting us. They’re not treating us as an equal.”
“China is the reason fentanyl is coming across our [southern] border. China is taking our kids’ data on TikTok. We sold our Strategic Petroleum Reserves to China. This is an administration that is more China First than America First, and the American people want a President who cares about them.”
McDaniel cited a number of examples of what she called the Biden administration’s weakness on China. She said that the administration has not done enough to hold China accountable for its human rights abuses, its trade practices, and its military aggression.
McDaniel also criticized the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, saying that it gave China a “green light” to expand its influence in the region.
The Biden administration has denied McDaniel’s accusations. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the administration is “committed to standing up to China” and that it is “working to build a coalition of allies to hold China accountable.”
However, McDaniel’s comments reflect a growing concern among Republicans about the Biden administration’s handling of China. Republicans have accused the administration of being too soft on China and of being unwilling to take the necessary steps to protect American interests.
Last month, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm praised China’s energy and climate policies and said she hoped the U.S. could “learn” from them.
“China has done — has been very sensitive, and has actually invested a lot in their solutions, to achieve their goals,” she said. “We’re hopeful that, you know, we can all learn from what China is doing. The amount of money that they’re investing in clean energy is actually, you know, encouraging.”
"China is running this White House," says @GOPChairwoman.
"This is an administration that is more China first than American first, and the American people want a president who cares about *them*" pic.twitter.com/GsdSrq8z7o
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 30, 2023
