Politicians like to play softball. The moment they are hit with a hard question, they run screaming.
And this GOP candidate cut and run during an interview after he was asked this question.
The race for the White House is heating up, and the field is getting more crowded than ever.
One slip-up can send anyone’s campaign straight down the tubes.
And one GOP contender inserted his foot straight into his mouth with an incredibly naive take on the Chinese question.
According to Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping should postpone any invasion of Taiwan until the United States achieves “semiconductor independence” by 2028.
“I’m being very clear: Xi Jinping should not mess with Taiwan until we have achieved semiconductor independence, until the end of my first term when I will lead us there,” Ramaswamy said Monday.
“And after that, our commitments to Taiwan, our commitments to be willing to go to military conflict, will change after that, because that’s rationally in our self-interest.”
During a long discussion with conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt, Ramaswamy presented that strategy to urge Xi to postpone a Taiwan conflict.
He did, however, terminate the interview 15 minutes sooner than Hewitt had planned when the host challenged him on whether he would draw a short-term “red line” around Taiwan.
“I’m not committing to that,” Ramaswamy replied. “What I’m saying is that we will deter until we have achieved semiconductor independence.”
Hewitt pressed the upstart candidate on his plan to force Ukraine to make concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin in exchange for the Kremlin breaking ties with China.
“That’s how I plan to end the Ukraine war — do a deal that yes, does give Putin concessions, but in return for requiring Vladimir Putin to exit his military partnership with China,” Ramaswamy said.
“With respect to Ukraine in particular, I think that we are actually driving Russia further into China’s arms … I’m disappointed, I have to say, that nobody in either major party is really talking about it.”
“That will collectively send enough of a signal, combined with my strategic clarity, that the date we take seriously is 2028, the end of my first term when I will lead us to semiconductor independence,” he explained.
In what he assumed would be the final 15 minutes of the interview, Hewitt attempted to turn the talk to Israel and Iran, but Ramaswamy stated their conversation had already gone too long.
“I was scheduled for 30 minutes, and we’ve gone for 45,” Ramaswamy said.
“I love this, but we’re going to have to continue this, Hugh, at a different date. But I really appreciated the opportunity.”
If Vivek can’t stand the heat, maybe he should get out of the kitchen. The reality is that he said China can have free rein with Taiwan once we don’t need Taiwan anymore.
Seem relatively reasonable right?
But where does that thinking end? When do we stop China from taking over other land?
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
