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On the heels of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China to smooth over relation between the United States and China, did President Biden ruffle some feathers when he called Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator? WOR White House correspondent Jon Decker appeared on 710 WOR’s Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning program to address the president’s latest gaffe, as well as other DC political intrigue.
“He said that during a (private) fundraiser out in California,” Decker told Berman and Riedel. “The reaction from China was almost immediate. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called that comment ‘provocative’ and ‘absurd’. It doesn’t help matters, especially when… (Secretary) Blinken was in China, trying to repair relations between the US and China, so, really bad timing in terms of that particular comment coming from President Biden.”
Decker was asked about the reaction to the group Pro Publica targeting Supreme Court justices- specifically Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas- for accepting paid trips that appear to be a conflict of interests. “You don’t want to have… an appearance of a conflict… You shouldn’t have to question the value or judgement of a decision because of questionable things that they’re doing, in terms of having a trip paid for. You want to go on a great trip to Alaska? Pay for it yourself. I mean, you are making a pretty nice salary… I think that that is problematic in terms of the way that it looks.”
Decker also commented on the House of Republicans vote on Wednesday to censure representative Adam Schiff, which he says the California legislator considers an honor. “He’s running for the US Senate in California. I think that it is a badge of honor, when you’re competing with fellow Democrats to be the next senator, to replace Dianne Feinstein. So, I think politically, it’s not bad for Adam Schiff. It actually may help him in his run for the US Senate.”
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