Blumenthal: There Needs to Be a ‘Stable, Sane Voice’ in the Trump Admin to Avoid ‘Accidental’ Conflict with China

RUSH EXCERPT:

BLUMENTHAL: "Well, I have no inside information about the views of the Trump Administration. My guess is that there is some disarray within the trump Administration about exactly what Rex Tillerson may have meant. But the important point for me as a member of the armed services committee, considering the nomination of general Mattis, is that there needs to be a stable, sane voice of caution and reason within the Trump Administration that assesses what the costs of conflict may be in that area, and the dangers of accidental conflict and miscalculation, which is precisely the point that general Mattis made in his testimony yesterday to our committee in his nomination proceeding. And it strengthens, I think, his nomination and the need for quick action on his nomination so that an expert military professional is providing some guidance about what denial of access could mean in the way of a response from the Chinese."