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Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Foreign policy experts rip Tim Walz's claim that China has 'moral authority' in Middle East conflict
Former vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., is facing criticism after claiming China could be the voice of "moral authority" in the Israel-Iran conflict. During a "What's Next: Conversations on the Path Forward" event hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP) last week, Walz responded to a question from former Biden White House advisor, Neera Tanden, about the "escalatory" nature of the strikes between the two countries. "Now, who is the voice in the world that can negotiate some type of agreement in this? Who holds the moral authority? Who holds the ability to do that? Because we are not seen as a neutral actor, and we maybe never were," Walz said of the United States' role in deescalating tensions in the Middle East. As the United States weighs striking Iran and war in the Middle East rages on, Danielle Pletka, a distinguished senior fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital that Walz's comments are "ignorance on display." According to Walz, the United States once attempted "to be somewhat of the arbitrator" in the Middle East, but Americans must face the reality that the "neutral actor" with the "moral authority" to lead negotiations in the Middle East "might be the Chinese." Walz didn't elaborate on why China would be that world leader. "It's so staggering to me that Tim Walz was within a heartbeat of the presidency," Pletka said, before adding, "We don't need a neutral player here," and urging him to "stick to local politics." Andy Keiser, senior fellow at the conservative National Security Institute and former senior advisor on the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News Digital that someone should "remind Governor Walz that China is far from a moral authority on much of anything," and said China is committing "cultural genocide." "The Chinese government has reportedly arbitrarily detained more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps since 2017," according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). "Most of the people who have been detained are Uyghur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang." In addition to the detentions, "Uyghurs in the region have been subjected to intense surveillance, forced labor, and involuntary sterilizations, among other rights abuses," according to the CFR. According to Human Rights Watch, President Xi Jinping has "detained human rights defenders, tightened control over civil society, media, and the internet, and deployed invasive mass surveillance technology" in Xinjiang and Tibet, which the human rights watchdog likened to "crimes against humanity." "I would strongly beg to differ that China has a moral authority on much in the world," Keiser said, and added, "I would not see them as a neutral arbiter here." "Obviously, we are not going to be a neutral broker between a terrorist and a democratic state," Pletka said. "That's just not how it works. You threatened to kill the President of the United States, but we're then meant to think of you in a balanced way with the state of Israel, our most important ally in the Middle East?" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News' Bret Baier on Monday that President Donald Trump remains a target of the Iranians. "They want to kill him. He's enemy No. 1." "I don't know how anybody could have said what [Walz] said about the role that China plays. The idea that there is some neutral interlocutor in this world, that anybody is an 'honest burger' is nothing other than grad school silliness," Pletka said. Pletka added that "Of course, China can't play that role. China is an authoritarian communist [state] that is supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine, that is threatening Taiwan, that has broken its word over Hong Kong." And she said, "This is not a playground in which you need somebody who can talk to both Bobby and Billy about why it is you don't smack your friends." "The idea that it should be reduced to something where you have an arbiter who sees the arguments on both sides, no. This is a situation where there's a right and a wrong, and there's a winner and a loser. That's how it should be, by the way, because Iran has fashioned itself as an enemy, not just to the state of Israel, but to the United States." Nikki Haley – former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, who sounded off on China's threat to the United States on the campaign trail – was quick to criticize Walz's viral comments last week. "This is absolute insanity. Democrats think that we need the Chinese to be the negotiators between Iran's nuclear production and Israel…God bless Tim Walz. Totally tone deaf," Haley posted on X.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-Biden adviser to testify amid claims of former president's cognitive decline
Neera Tanden, a former senior adviser to President Biden, has agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee on June 24 regarding claims of Biden's cognitive decline. The closed-door testimony is part of the Republican -led investigation into Biden's mental acuity and alleged cover-up by his staff. Representative James Comer, the committee chairman, has accused Democrats, the media, and the Biden administration of enabling an unfit leader and using "autopens" for blanket pardons. Comer had requested Tanden and other former staffers testify and threatened to subpoena those who did not voluntarily comply. The testimony follows renewed focus on Biden's mental fitness, with Comer also requesting testimony from other former senior advisers and subpoenaing Biden's physician.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-Biden aide agrees to testify to House committee about president's mental fitness while in office
A former senior adviser to President Joe Biden has agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door interview as part of its investigation into claims of Biden's cognitive decline while in office. Neera Tanden, who served as a senior adviser, White House Staff Secretary, and Director of the Domestic Policy Council during the Biden administration, is set to testify before the committee on June 24, according to an Oversight Committee aide. Her closed-door testimony will be recorded and reviewed as part of Republican committee members' investigation into Biden's mental acuity and the alleged cover-up by his staff and allies. Republican Representative James Comer, the chairman of the committee, has accused Democrats, the media, and the Biden administration of 'propping up a man who was unfit to lead.' Comer believes the so-called 'cover up' allowed for the utilization of 'autopens' to issue 'blanket pardons' for members of the Biden family. President Donald Trump has made similar claims that the use of the autopen meant someone other than Biden was in charge of the White House during his term. Tanden has acknowledged that the autopen is used in 'a lot' of administrations but has not provided any public comment on Biden's use of it or his cognitive function. Comer had requested Tanden and other former staffers he's accused of engaging in a 'cover-up,' testify to the committee and threatened to subpoena those who do not voluntarily comply. Tanden, 54, is a prominent Democratic political consultant who has worked in the Clinton, Obama and Biden administrations. When Biden took office in 2020, he nominated Tanden to serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. However, the nomination was considered controversial due to Tanden's history of name-calling in tweets. The White House eventually withdrew Tanden's nomination and appointed her senior adviser and staff secretary. The testimony will come after a renewed focus on Biden's mental fitness, which was the subject of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book Original Sin. Comer has also requested testimony from Michael Donilon and Anita Dunn, former senior advisers; Bruce Reed, former deputy chief of staff; and Steve Ricchetti, the former counselor to the president. Others subpoenaed include Anthony Bernal, a former senior adviser to First Lady Jill Biden; Ashley Williams, the former deputy director of Oval Office operations; and Annie Tomasini, the former deputy chief of staff. Comer has also subpoenaed Biden's physician, Kevin O'Connor. Biden has maintained that he drove the decision-making during his presidency. There has been no evidence that aides acted on his behalf or that anyone other than Biden used the autopen.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Oversight Republicans schedule interviews with former Biden aides
The House Oversight Committee has scheduled voluntary transcribed interview with four Biden White House aides as it investigates whether there was a cover-up of President Biden's mental state, according to a committee aide. The confirmed interviews come as the panel has expanded the reach of its probe, asking top aides to sit with the committee's investigative staff. Neera Tanden, the former director of the Domestic Policy Council, will sit for an interview June 24, while Anthony Bernal, a former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady, will do so June 26. Next month, Ashley Williams, the former special assistant to the president and deputy director of Oval Office Operations, will sit with staff for a July 11 interview, while Annie Tomasini, a former assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff will appear July 18. Last week Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) subpoenaed Biden's White House doctor, Kevin O'Connor, for a deposition on June 27. The day prior, Comer sent letters demanding interviews to former chief-of-staff Ron Klain, senior adviser Anita Dunn, former counselor Steve Ricchetti, and aides Michael Donilon and Bruce Reed. 'The scope of your responsibilities — both official and otherwise — and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive's condition — or to perform his duties — Congress may need to consider a legislative response,' Comer wrote in a letter to Klain. The White House also confirmed last week that pardon attorney Ed Martin would be reviewing Biden's pardons for his family members, as well as some other clemencies granted during his final days in office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
4 Top Biden Aides To Testify On His Alleged Cognitive Decline
Four former senior aides to former President Joe Biden will testify to the House Oversight Committee about Biden's alleged declining health while in office. A spokesperson for Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chair for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, confirmed to HuffPost that Neera Tanden, former director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Anthony Bernal, former senior adviser to the first lady, will testify later this month. Ashley Williams, former deputy director of Oval Office operations, and Annie Tomasini, former deputy chief of staff, will testify in July. A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last week, President Donald Trump ordered his administration to investigate his predecessor, alleging that Biden's aides covered up his 'cognitive decline' and criticizing Biden for using an autopen to sign documents, like pardons. Presidents, including Trump, have used autopens since 2011. Biden defended himself in a statement last week. 'Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,' Biden said. 'I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false.' Comer sent a letter demanding testimony from five former Biden aides. In May, Comer urged Biden's former doctor, Kevin O'Connor, to testify. O'Connor refused, according to Politico, and then Comer issued a subpoena to him last week. 'The American people deserve full transparency and the House Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation to provide answers and accountability,' Comer said. 'The cover-up of President Biden's mental decline is one of the greatest scandals in our nation's history. These five former senior advisors were eyewitnesses to President Biden's condition and operations within the Biden White House. They must appear before the House Oversight Committee and provide truthful answers about President Biden's cognitive state and who was calling the shots.' The investigation comes after journalist Jake Tapper released his book 'Original Sin,' which detailed Biden's mental decline. According to the book, Biden would often forget people's names and that top Democrats refused to press Biden on whether he was capable of running for a second term in 2024. While appearing on 'The View' in May with former first lady Jill Biden, Joe Biden there is 'nothing to sustain' reports that his mental capacity declined while he was president. Jill Biden added that the people who wrote 'those books' weren't in the White House with them. Comer has also requested testimony from Michael Donilon, former senior adviser to the president, Anita Dunn, former senior adviser to the president, Ronald Klain, former chief of staff, Bruce Reed, former deputy chief of staff and Steve Ricchetti, former counselor to the president.
