NORAD Commander Doesn’t Know When Pres. Biden Was First Made Aware of the Chinese Spy Balloon

WICKER Thank you very ░░░░░░░░ Now Gen VanHerck with ░░░░░░░░ to these letters I ░░░░░░░░ a number I have ░░░░░░░░ quite a bit of ░░░░░░░░ from talking to you ░░░░░░░░ this balloon incident and ░░░░░░░░ mentioned it in your ░░░░░░░░ So let me just ░░░░░░░░ through some quick question ░░░░░░░░ we can understand who ░░░░░░░░ what about the Chinese ░░░░░░░░ You first learned about ░░░░░░░░ on January 28 of ░░░░░░░░ year is that correct ░░░░░░░░ Senator I learned about ░░░░░░░░ on the January 27 ░░░░░░░░ first detected it by ░░░░░░░░ my sensors on January ░░░░░░░░ in the vicinity of ░░░░░░░░ Matthew s Island Alaska ░░░░░░░░ Okay And that s ░░░░░░░░ States territory right VANHERCK ░░░░░░░░ s correct sir WICKER ░░░░░░░░ you ve notified your ░░░░░░░░ of command on that ░░░░░░░░ January 28 right VANHERCK ░░░░░░░░ had a conversation on ░░░░░░░░ evening of the 27 ░░░░░░░░ the Chairman of the ░░░░░░░░ Chiefs of Staff about ░░░░░░░░ plan to intercept and ░░░░░░░░ and make an assessment ░░░░░░░░ we did on the ░░░░░░░░ of January WICKER And ░░░░░░░░ sent that notification to ░░░░░░░░ of Defense Austin Chairman ░░░░░░░░ the Joint Chiefs of ░░░░░░░░ Chairman Milley via classified ░░░░░░░░ correct VANHERCK I sent ░░░░░░░░ to the Chairman of ░░░░░░░░ Joint Chiefs of Staff ░░░░░░░░ to Secretary Austin s ░░░░░░░░ assistant I m assuming ░░░░░░░░ the military assistant passed ░░░░░░░░ to the Secretary WICKER ░░░░░░░░ And you still are ░░░░░░░░ certain at what point ░░░░░░░░ Biden or Secretary Austin ░░░░░░░░ made aware of the ░░░░░░░░ is that right VANHERCK ░░░░░░░░ do not know when ░░░░░░░░ President was made aware ░░░░░░░░ Okay Fine And when ░░░░░░░░ confirmed the balloon s ░░░░░░░░ on January 28 you ░░░░░░░░ NORTHCOM your command with ░░░░░░░░ options to counter the ░░░░░░░░ That s correct also ░░░░░░░░ I tasked my NORAD ░░░░░░░░ to develop options And ░░░░░░░░ what I d point ░░░░░░░░ is I have options ░░░░░░░░ single day to defend ░░░░░░░░ homeland In this case ░░░░░░░░ balloon did not meet ░░░░░░░░ requirement or the authority ░░░░░░░░ me to engage it ░░░░░░░░ it was not demonstrating ░░░░░░░░ intent or committing a ░░░░░░░░ act Hostile intent would ░░░░░░░░ maneuvering to an offensive ░░░░░░░░ on a platform an ░░░░░░░░ or shooting missiles or ░░░░░░░░ would be hostile act.”