Rep Turner: Biden Should Be ‘Trigger Happy’
Republican Congressman Mike Turner called on the president to be “trigger happy” when it comes to shooting down unidentified objects. Turner made the statement after the White House ordered two objects be shot down by American fighter jets.
The Ohio representative made the statement on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning. “They do appear somewhat trigger happy, although this is certainly preferable to the permissive environment that they showed when the Chinese spy balloon was coming over some of our most sensitive sites,” Turner said.
He continued, “Obviously I would prefer them to be trigger happy than to be permissive.”
“Trigger happy” is a phrase that means to act irresponsibly with a weapon. Marrian-Webster gives the definition, “inclined to be irresponsible in matters that might precipitate war.” Turner is effectively instructing the administration to shoot first and ask questions later, even if it leads to a potential conflict.
Prior to Turner’s appearance on “State of the Union,” the US shot down two more objects. The first was a Chinese balloon that floated over the US. Washington claims the craft was for surveillance, while Beijing asserts it was a weather balloon.
The White House ordered the balloon be intercepted by an F-22 over the Atlantic Ocean on February 4. The US has recovered some debris from the balloon but has yet to provide evidence the craft was intended for surveillance purposes.
A second unidentified object was shot down over Alaska on Saturday. Since Turner’s statement on Sunday, Washington has downed two more unidentified crafts. The origins and purposes of the last three unidentified flying objects are unknown.
The Joe Biden administration has repeatedly stated that the objects do not present a military threat to Americans. The president said the military operations are out of an abundance of caution.
Meanwhile, Beijing now says that several American balloons have entered its airspace in recent years. The Department of Defense claims multiple Chinese balloons have crossed American skies in recent years, including three during the Donald Trump administration.