Martha MacCallum Presses John Kirby On How U.S. Might Respond If China Harasses Pelosi During Expected Trip to Taiwan

Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum pressed National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby on how the United States might respond if China harasses House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during her expected trip to Taiwan.

While the trip has not been publicly confirmed, Pelosi is reportedly expected to be in Taiwan on Tuesday and Wednesday. China has warned against Pelosi’s reported trip to the Pacific island nation, which it considers a part of China, while the Defense Department has reportedly expressed objections to it.

During Monday’s The Story With Martha MacCallum, MacCallum asked Kirby about possible U.S. military action if China seeks to intimidate Pelosi were she to visit Taiwan.

“With regard to the world environment … we’ve watched over the course of this administration a change in policy in Afghanistan, the Taliban regaining control after that. Then you see what happened in Ukraine is,” she said. “What do you think China thinks when they look at this moment? Do they rightfully assume that there won’t be push back? What will we do if they harass her visit in Taiwan by flying jets closer than they ever have before? What will we do?”

Kirby said:

I’m not going to get ahead of where things are right now and I’m not going speculate about actions or reactions one way or the other. There’s no reason for this to become a crisis. There’s no reason for them to use a potential trip as some sort of pretext for military action.

I will tell you this: We take our security commitments in the region very, very seriously. And we have ample capabilities in the region should we need them. We will make sure that the speaker, wherever she goes on this trip, can do so safely and in a secure fashion. We will be sure of that. And gain, we’re not going to be intimidated.

MacCallum asked if it’s “accurate to say then if they were to do something like that that there would be a military response to protect those skies.”

“Well, again, it shouldn’t come to any of that. But I will just tell you, we will make sure that the speaker can complete her trip in a safe and secure way as Point One,” replied Kirby. “Point Two, we’re going to make sure that we can meet our security commitments in the region.”

Watch above, via Fox News.