NEWS ALERT: How a local Montana paper burst Biden admin’s plans to keep Chinese balloon secret [DML RESPONDS]

The U.S. military finally shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, after it had been allowed to travel all across the United States, in what many are saying was a threat to U.S. national security.

News of the balloon was first made public on Thursday, when it was spotted flying over Montana.

However, a report by Bloomberg Friday night confirms that the Biden administration already knew about the balloon at least a week ago, and had kept it quiet, so as not to cause any conflict with Communist China just before Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned trip to visit Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Bloomberg wrote:

This account of how a balloon burst diplomacy just as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to travel to Communist China and meet with President Xi Jinping is based on conversations with several officials briefed on the matter who asked to stay anonymous to discuss intelligence matters.

As it turns out, US authorities were well aware of the unidentified object that had entered American airspace on Jan. 28, that had then left and re-entered over North Idaho on Tuesday. But with such a high-profile trip at stake, keeping it on the down-low was key.

By the time the thing became visible in Montana, President Joe Biden had already been briefed and the White House was scrambling to decide whether to blast it from the sky.

The gravity of the situation was only exacerbated by Montana being home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses a large portion of the US’s Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Bloomberg reported that the Biden administration was trying to “exercise extreme caution” ahead of the 2024 elections.

On Wednesday, the day before the news broke of the balloon’s presence over Montana, Biden’s national security team had briefed him about the balloon, and Biden had reportedly urged them to shoot it down.

However, “Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley insisted that such a move would put civilians at risk,” Bloomberg wrote.  The article reads:

The president ultimately decided to let the balloon continue on its way as the US sought answers from the Chinese embassy in Washington, but they struggled to obtain satisfactory responses. US officials said they were baffled by Communist China, which itself appeared to be caught off-guard by the bizarre incident. 

The White House had chosen not to inform the American public, but that plan was soon foiled by a local Montana newspaper, the Billings Gazette, who published a photo of the balloon on Thursday afternoon.

The White House then had to scramble to brief lawmakers.  Bloomberg writes:

In an effort to keep things calm, administration officials stressed this was not the first such incident and that similar activities had been observed over the past several years, including during the prior administration.

However, the backlash against the Biden administration became fierce, and Blinken was forced to cancel his trip to Communist China.

Communist China then released a statement on Friday expressing their “regret” and claiming it was simply for “climate research” and had accidentally veered off course.

The balloon was allowed to continue its journey across the entire United States by the Biden administration, before they finally allowed U.S. military jets to blow it out of the sky Saturday afternoon.

Senator Josh Hawley commented on Bloomberg’s report Saturday morning, tweeting, “So they tried to hide it.”

So they tried to hide it https://t.co/1EpSmaf5ao

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 4, 2023

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin tweeted Saturday morning in response to Bloomberg’s report, “NEW: Bloomberg reports the Biden administration was first aware the Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. airspace one week ago on 1/28, and had opted not to inform the American public about it until the Billings Gazette published a photo of the balloon on Thursday.”

DMLNewsApp and TeamDML.com founder Dennis Michael Lynch tweeted, “So they take it down AFTER it crosses American soil, take photos and videos, and then sends it back to Communist China. So the Chinese have what they want because Joe gave it to them.”

So they take it down AFTER it crosses American soil, take photos and videos, and then sends it back to Communist China. So the Chinese have what they want because Joe gave it to them. #Balloon https://t.co/C0Fou3rg8N

— Dennis Michael Lynch (@realDennisLynch) February 4, 2023

In another tweet, DML wrote, “Problem is the photos and videos are already captured. #Communist China keeps getting away with lots of bad actor behavior under this administration. I wonder why (cough, cough).”

Problem is the photos and videos are already captured. #Communist China keeps getting away with lots of bad actor behavior under this administration. I wonder why (cough, cough). #Communist ChinaSpyBalloon https://t.co/iinOSxbGnX

— Dennis Michael Lynch (@realDennisLynch) February 4, 2023

The House Judiciary Republican Party tweeted after the balloon was taken down, “Joe Biden knew the Chinese spy balloon was coming. Tried to hide it from the American people. Let it fly across the ENTIRE COUNTRY. And only after the entire country begged him to act, our great military shot it down. Embarrassing. Scary. Sad.”

Joe Biden knew the Chinese spy balloon was coming.

Tried to hide it from the American people.

Let it fly across the ENTIRE COUNTRY.

And only after the entire country begged him to act, our great military shot it down.

Embarrassing. Scary. Sad.

— House Judiciary Republican Party (@JudiciaryGOP) February 4, 2023

Paul Sperry of Real Clear Investigations tweeted, “BREAKING: The Pentagon briefed Biden last Saturday that the Chinese had violated our airspace with a spy craft, but Biden waited until Wednesday to order the Pentagon to shoot it down, and the Pentagon waited until Saturday to follow his order.”

BREAKING: The Pentagon briefed Biden last Saturday that the Chinese had violated our airspace with a spy craft, but Biden waited until Wednesday to order the Pentagon to shoot it down, and the Pentagon waited until Saturday to follow his order

— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) February 4, 2023

Tommy Pigott of Republican National Committee Research tweeted, “So according to Bloomberg, Biden’s “plan” was cover up that they knew the CCP balloon was coming and hope no one noticed it as it flew over the country, all so it wouldn’t affect Blinken’s meeting with Chinese officials. Seriously. That was their plan.”

So according to Bloomberg, Biden’s “plan” was cover up that they knew the CCP balloon was coming and hope no one noticed it as it flew over the country, all so it wouldn’t affect Blinken’s meeting with Chinese officials.

Seriously. That was their plan. https://t.co/x5HlbP8no7

— Tommy Pigott (@TommyPigott) February 4, 2023

New York Post writer Miranda Devin blasted Biden, tweeting, “The dithering and dissembling of the Biden administration over the Chinese surveillance balloon is reminiscent of the dithering and dissembling over the botched Afghan withdrawal. It’s at these times you need a commander in chief who is on the ball and a VP who isn’t an idiot.”

The dithering and dissembling of the Biden administration over the Chinese surveillance balloon is reminiscent of the dithering and dissembling over the botched Afghan withdrawal. It’s at these times you need a commander in chief who is on the ball and a VP who isn’t an idiot https://t.co/YGlWhRaSdo

— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) February 4, 2023

Why did Joe Biden allow the CCP Spy Balloon to spy on America before giving the order to shoot it down? The Biden Administration and the U.S. Military owe the American people answers.
pic.twitter.com/AFlLAzCd0y

— Charles R Downs (@TheCharlesDowns) February 4, 2023

Fox News host Laura Ingraham wrote, “For Biden it’s all about preserving a partnership with Communist China; trip only cancelled bc of 2024 politics.”

For Biden it’s all about preserving a partnership with Communist China; trip only cancelled bc of 2024 politics.

“The Biden administration knew it had to exercise extreme caution especially in what was a heated political environment ahead of 2024 elections….” https://t.co/sCL8IsRrvg

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) February 4, 2023

This balloon has been in our airspace for days so cut the crap!
FEB 2 Thursday – spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days
All air traffic was halted at MT’s Billings Logan International Airport from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wedshttps://t.co/4XSmCo8uSf
Postponement of trip pic.twitter.com/TBSANH3M9V

— Joni Job (@jj_talking) February 3, 2023

BREAKING: US downs Chinese balloon over ocean, moves to recover debris (VIDEO) #ChineseSpyBalloon
Download the DML News app for political news you can trust.https://t.co/hFbXu7YxBv

— DMLNewsApp (@DMLNewsApp) February 4, 2023

MUST-SEE: Twitter explodes with mockery and memes over Chinese spy balloon flying across U.S.https://t.co/uNrRd2I4BJ

— DMLNewsApp (@DMLNewsApp) February 4, 2023

The post NEWS ALERT: How a local Montana paper burst Biden admin’s plans to keep Chinese balloon secret [DML RESPONDS] appeared first on Dennis Michael Lynch.