Democracy, Populism, & Domestic Politics, Power & Security, United States Rep. Houlahan on how to end the China ‘hullaballoon’

Perry World House Visiting Fellow John Gans discusses the 2023 State of the Union address in this edition of POLITICO's "NatSec Daily."

NatSec Daily has not been subtle about its feelings on the Chinese balloon: Yes, China spied on the United States in a brazen way, but it’s a far cry from the levels of surveillance, intelligence-gathering and counter-intelligence Beijing conducts with regularity...

SOTU VOCE: How can Biden hit the right natsec notes in tonight’s State of the Union address, which some see as a possible opening salvo for a 2024 run? Here’s what JOHN GANS, a former Pentagon speechwriter and author of a history of the National Security Council, had to say.

“By underscoring his administration’s strong, effective response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s adventures in ballooning, the president has the opportunity to further solidify his hold on the traditional, bipartisan center on foreign policy,” he said. “As a result of events, his team’s management, and his opponent’s histrionics, Biden has a rare opportunity for a Democratic president to own the center of gravity on foreign policy. I think he can and will speak to that center, seeking to capitalize on that opportunity and to force his critics on left and right to take more extreme stances."

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