Kennedy defends Pelosi's Taiwan visit; questions if it's an 'ego' trip ahead of midterms
Gingrich's delegation was bipartisan, Pelosi's is not, Sen. Kennedy pointed out
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has an "unconditional" right to visit Taiwan as the third-ranking member of the federal government, but her potential motives should still be analyzed, Senate Judiciary Committee member John N. Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News on Tuesday.
Kennedy suggested Pelosi may be trying to engage in one last high-profile endeavor before her party faces likely defeat in the midterms.
"I support Speaker Pelosi's trip to Taiwan unconditionally, but with an explanation," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As petty and self-absorbed as Washington looks like from the outside, you ought to see it from the inside. This entire exercise began with Speaker Pelosi's ego – Now, when you're talking about a nuclear war with China, you should take your ego out back and shoot it. But that's not Speaker Pelosi's way."
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Kennedy said the San Francisco speaker understands she is not likely to hold her gavel next year, and therefore the controversy surrounding the Taiwan visit is an opportunity for her to say, quote, "look at me" one more time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"She talked to the White House and some knucklehead, either on Speaker Pelosi's staff or the White House's leaked it. And on top of that, President Biden spoke publicly about it and said, oh, maybe she shouldn't go," he added, suggesting as others have that the executive branch's reticence to defend the Taipei trip gave U.S. adversaries a potential source of propaganda-victory.
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"Well, at that juncture, she had to go because weakness – or the appearance of weakness – invites the wolves. So I'm glad the speaker went."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kennedy however also pointed out that – unlike the delegation led by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., in 1997 – there was no bipartisan representation in Pelosi's delegation.
Gingrich previously noted to Fox News he invited then-top Democratic Rep. John Dingell Jr. of Michigan when he visited during Jiang Zemin's term as Chinese president.
Pelosi invited Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, Mark Takano of California, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Suzan DelBene of Washington and Andy Kim of New Jersey – but no Republicans.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"If [Pelosi] really wanted to demonstrate strength from the United States of America, she would have made it a bipartisan trip. She would've brought Kevin McCarthy along. She would have brought the secretary of defense along. But no, it's her. It's 'The Speaker Pelosi Show'."
Kennedy added the trip also detracts from controversy surrounding Paul Pelosi Sr., who has been criticized for recent NVIDIA stock trades ahead of the Chips bill's passage, and a murky drunken driving investigation in Napa County, Calif. from last month reported on extensively by Fox News host Jesse Watters.