House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican, said Sunday that "there is no excuse" for the Biden administration waiting to shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon before it began crossing the continental US.
“The president taking it down over the Atlantic is sort of like tackling the quarterback after the game is over. The satellite had completed its mission,” Turner told NBC News. “This should never have been allowed to enter the United States, and it never should have been allowed to complete its mission.”
He added, “They need to make clear to all our adversaries, you're not going to get to come the United States and take a tour of our most sensitive military sites, and have a free show.”
Turner told NBC News that there is a briefing scheduled for this week on the intelligence assessment of the classified documents found at former President Donald Trump’s home, and that documents discovered in President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence’s possession will also be included in the briefing.
He was not specific as to whether the briefing would be with the Intelligence Committee or the so-called Gang of Eight -- which includes the party leaders in the House and Senate and the four leaders of the two Intelligence committees.
“There’s nothing scheduled on the balloon, but they’re scheduling Donald Trump,” Turner said, noting that Biden and Pence documents would be “included.”
“It's supposed to be this week, we’ll see whether or not the balloon happens first,” he said.