Ratcliffe Shoots Down Claim That Three Chinese Balloons Crossed Over U.S. Under Trump

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe Reject the assertion that three Chinese spy balloons were involved “transited” the United States during Donald Trump’s presidency.

The Chinese suspected balloon, which traveled through the lower 48 before being shot down just off the Carolinas coast on Saturday, was an “unprecedented national security blunder of incalculable damage,” Ratcliffe said during Fox News Interview Sunday

Anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Ratcliffe to reply to the Department of Defense claim that three Chinese spy balloons entered U.S. Airspace during Trump’s administration. They were not shot down and were not disclosed.

“It’s not true. I can refute it,” Ratcliffe was quick to respond. Ratcliffe replied that he believes his views are supported by other Trump administration officials. Mark Esper, former Defense SecretaryAccording to a source, he did not recall Chinese surveillance satellites in the sky above the United States.

Saturday: A senior U.S. defense official said Chinese government surveillance balloons “transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time,” CNN.

Ratcliffe insisted the American people can refute the Biden administration’s claim for themselves.

“Do you remember during the Trump administration when photographers on the ground and commercial airline pilots were talking about a spy balloon over the United States that people could look up and see even with the naked eye and that the media that hated Donald Trump wasn’t reporting? I don’t remember that either because it didn’t happen,” He stated.

Trump himself Denial issued His social media platform was updated on Sunday.

“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”

First public appearance by the U.S. government Recognized a suspicious reconnaissance balloon It was seen over Billings in Montana on Thursday A few minutes from a military base that houses 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles after it traveled above the Aleutian Islands and through Canada.

While China’s government claimed the balloon was a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes” It was essentially a miscalculation. The Pentagon rejected this explanation on Friday and called it a misunderstanding. “maneuverable” surveillance balloon. The Pentagon expressed concern that the balloon could be shot from above, posing a danger to people below.

Saturday’s destruction of the balloon off South Carolina was captured on video. The balloon was shot down by an F-22 Raptor with one A9X sidewinder missile. According to a senior U.S. Military official. China’s foreign ministry Responded by condemning The United States “an excessive reaction that seriously violates international convention” And warned Beijing “retains the right to respond further.”

Ratcliffe, a former U.S. congressman who served as the nation’s spy chief from May 2020 until the end of Trump’s administration in January 2021, called it an “incredibly successful intelligence operation” For China. He stated that China is being watched by Russia, Iran and North Korea. “thrilled” They are amazed at the opportunities this scenario offers.