House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is responding to criticism she received over her trip to Taiwan.
During an event with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, Pelosi suggested the criticism was based on her gender.
“They made a big fuss because I’m the Speaker, I guess. I don’t know if that was a reason or an excuse because they didn’t say anything when the men came,” Pelosi said.
Check out the video below:
Pelosi: “They didn’t say anything when the men came.” A reference to the fact that in April, US senators Lindsey Graham, Bob Menendez, Richard Burr, Ben Sasse, Rob Portman, and Ronny Jackson visited Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/TwW8t36Bxy
— Melissa Chan (@melissakchan) August 3, 2022
Additionally, during the meeting with Tsai, Pelosi commented on democracy.
“America’s determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad,” Pelosi said.
Tsai called Pelosi “one of Taiwan’s most devoted friends,” adding, “We are truly grateful to you for making this visit to Taiwan to showcase the U.S. Congress’s staunch support for Taiwan.”
Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night.
China took aim at Pelosi and the Biden administration for allowing the trip to happen, arguing that it is “very dangerous and stupid.”
In an editorial, the People’s Daily or, as the Post notes, “the official mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party,” said Wednesday, “The U.S. government had the responsibility to prevent her trip. Yet they say one thing and do another. They have no integrity at all.”
Last month, President Joe Biden responded to a question about Pelosi’s rumored visit.
“The military thinks it’s not a good idea right now. But I don’t know what the status of it is,” Biden said.
Still, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier this week that the House speaker “has the right to visit Taiwan.”
He explained, “There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with long-standing U.S. policy into some sort of crisis or conflict, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait.”
According to Kirby, the administration’s responsibility is to “make sure that she can travel safely and securely, and I can assure you that she will.”
The New York Post reported that China flew 27 planes into the air defense zone of Taiwan during Pelosi’s visit.