Representative Jim Banks called for reparations from the Chinese Communist Party for spawning the novel Coronavirus, asserting there is “opportunity, avenue, and appetite to make China pay” on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
Coronavirus is not the first time the CCP’s relentless pursuit of power has harmed America’s health and economy. Outsourcing, currency manipulation, and intellectual property theft have unfairly disadvantaged American workers and poor environmental and health standards have led to unprecedented pollution and toxic products for consumers – all while the American political establishment turns a blind eye.
But this doctrine of appeasement has been reversed by President Trump, a much-needed shift highlighted by Rep. Banks, who holds the CCP culpable for Coronavirus-induced economic hardship, including a Dow plunge of nearly 3,000 points and forced closures of thousands of restaurants and stores.
I joined @tuckercarlson last night to discuss how we can begin to demand reparations from Communist #China for putting us through the economic strain of #coronavirus. Watch below: pic.twitter.com/YEAHJpkoLv
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) March 17, 2020
During the segment, Carlson asks: “You’ve been one of the few and loudest voices calling attention to the threat that China poses to the United States. Do you think that this crisis will awaken your colleagues to this threat?”
Rep. Banks responds: “There’s no doubt about it, Tucker. I’ve heard from colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are ready to engage in the same fight I’ve been fighting now for several months to hold China accountable for their bad behavior. We need to start by forcing China to pay the burden and the cost incurred on the United States of America due to the Coronavirus.”
Rep. Banks continues, proposing the CCP forgive America’s debt or the Trump administration increase tariffs: “I think there are many ways we could do that. The president could force China to relieve a great amount of American debt, he could institute tariffs on China and designate the funds from that into a Coronavirus victim relief fund to pay the cost incurred on Americans and American taxpayers due to the negligence on China’s behalf that has led to this crisis in America today.”
Carlson inquires about the feasibility of such a proposal: “So by erasing the US debt held by the Chinese we could fund that. Do you think the administration is willing to push for that?”
Rep. Banks responds confidently with faith in President Trump: “I hope so. President Trump has shown enormous strength and effort so far in the trade deal. When we talk about future trade deals, there’s an opportunity, avenue, and I believe appetite, to go after China to make them pay even further costs. So I hope that would be the case, but I have no doubt that President Trump will do everything that he can to hold China accountable for what they have caused on Americans today.”
The CCP, aided and abetted by the American establishment, have harmed American workers for too long, and Coronavirus is the latest example – not merely an isolated incident – of this misconduct going unchecked.
