‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ co-host Pete Hegseth weighs in on reports the Biden administration downplayed threats from the Chinese surveillance balloon. He also discusses a WSJ reporter’s arrest in Russia. #FoxNews

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China scooped up what it wanted flying That spycraft across the entire Continental United States a new report Says the Chinese Communist party was Able to gather sensitive intelligence From multiple American Military sites Senior officials are telling NBC News China controlled that craft And it sent back information to China in Real time mostly using electronic Signals Remember it entered U.S airspace January 28th Biden's Administration Let it Fly Over Us for a week before our military Finally shot it down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th the Biden Administration repeatedly played down Any national security concerns you Remember You have no specific reason to suspect That they were conducting surveillance Of any kind there shouldn't be any Overarching concern by the American People that that the skies are somehow Full of attack balloons or that they're That they're at greater risk the leading Intelligence Community assessment is That they were probably for benign Purposes whether it's whether a Commercial scientific research You know Admiral Kirby is in an awkward Position there either they were lying And he was furthering that or they're Really bad at their jobs

When it comes to voters feelings on China a recent Fox poll shows a majority Call it the greatest threat to America 66 percent say President Biden has been Too accommodating with dealing with Beijing Pete hegseth co-host of Fox and Friends Weekend Pete I want to show all respect For those in authority But when they don't use their power to Protect us they're one single job It's it's hard to stomach It sure is uh it's really embarrassing For this white house uh it's also really Dangerous for America and we want to Trust John Kirby or or yes Lloyd Austin Or anyway you want to but John Kirby Would have known at that point Mid-February those clips are being Played What we now know because of this report That it was not just you know Loosely Traveling across the United States for a Week according to the report this Chinese spyballoon was doing figure Eight rotations over some of our most Sensitive nuclear sites if not Gathering Digital intelligence meaning meaning Photographs they're getting signals Intelligence which means they're trying To get a sense of what kind of Electronic signals are being sent radar Others above these sensitive nuclear Sites and then sending it back to the

Communist Chinese so by the time John Kirby's saying this is benign they would Have known the exact flight path they Would have known that it was loitering So you see that that graphic you're Showing right now that makes it look Like ah it was moving you know that's Just a TV graphic the Pentagon has a Real graphic which shows how close it Got where it stayed and it because of The aircraft we would have had next to It would have known what you know more Or less what its capabilities were Because it wasn't moving quickly they're Just cowards and probably Liars because In this particular instance cowards Because they weren't willing to take an Action to confront China which is Confronting us around the world in Various ways most non-military but They'd like to win a war with us before A shot has to be fired Um and then and they didn't have the Courage to just be straight and shoot it Down and then they're not honest with The American people and then you wonder Why we don't trust them but that poll Reveals that average people have common Sense and can see through this this is a Very dangerous thing that occurred and They waited until Surfside Beach South Carolina to shoot it down after the Communist Chinese got everything they Wanted so digging deeper into this

Exclusive reporting by NBC News Pete um You have me asking some questions so While you were talking I'm looking for When was it that the Biden Administration started to even tell us That the Chinese were capable the the Chinese Communist Party of collecting Signals intelligence it was after the Balloon had been shot down And and just to revisit when you show That map look how much time it's spent Off our Coast out of our airspace we Knew this thing took off many days Before it reached our airspace we had to Have been studying it by then Um and then here's part of the reporting The balloon had a self-destruct Mechanism That could have been activated remotely By China Our officials today Peter saying According to NBC News it's still not Clear if it malfunctioned that mechanism To self-destruct or if China chose not To trigger it we are still Still capitulating to an enemy we're Going to wait for them to figure out What they're going to do are they going To blow it up or not Is it that is that what the result was I Mean I I think this is uh an attempt by the Administration to obfuscate an absolute Failure a failure to protect our nation

By pretending like it was something Other than it is maybe the Chinese Wanted eventually for us to know exactly What they got because it's really Embarrassing it's really embarrassing For us and and we there's plenty of Places we could have shot it down we Chose not to we look weak I know that Sounds simple but it's true it's open Season under this Administration and What will we probably talk to the Chinese about next not the balloon not Covid I'm sure we'll insist they lean Into those climate change efforts and And our Energy Secretary will laud them For what they're doing while they laugh At us and continue to find non-military Ways to learn more about us to put us in A corner to make us more vulnerable to Make us more compromised so should we Actually have to confront them we can't Which is what they want Uh we'll we'll move to their new friend Russia Russia is still holding American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gurskovitz in Moscow And they're accusing him of Espionage The outlets editor-in-chief lashed out Over his arrest It's a total outrage he is an accredited Journalist he had a Visa he had Accreditation for the Russian government He was out doing his job and it's Completely unacceptable Russia is is has

Become not a not a great environment for Journalists either Russian or foreign Yesterday Secretary of State blinken Spoke with Russia therefore in Minister Lavrov blinken called for the immediate Release of gerskovic and also that of Paul Whelan let's please not forget that We have more Americans around the world At least another one in Russia now Another American Russia is holding calls Are growing for President Biden to take Some action do something The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote this the Brazen arrest of an American Journal who Shows the declining ability of the United States to deter assaults on its Citizens the Biden Administration Condemned the detention but it's fair to Ask why Mr Putin believes he can snatch Americans and come out ahead Pete I have one word for why he can his name Is Victor boot uh and he's known as The Merchant of death uh and he's a Russian Arms dealer who is now free who's got American blood on his hands and why is He free because we traded him for a WNBA Star and didn't get Paul Wheeler and now They have another journalist they re They believe that this Administration Will cut bad deals that benefit them That have very little downside and Consequences they're already neck deep In the war in Ukraine but they've Saddled up to China and the other brics

Countries so this is Vladimir put just Putin just pulling another Pawn into his Orbit and we rightfully should be Outraged by this journalists should have The ability to operate but of course They don't in Putin's Russia he doesn't Believe in you know journalism he will Accuse this journalist who's trying to Get information for a story of spying For the United States and he'll have Plenty of some all complete support Domestically and another Pawn to play on The international stage we never freed Paul Wheeler we gave away a criminal and Got a basketball player and we wonder Why I'm glad she's back but it's not It's not the kind of deal that makes us Look strong well look as former military You know it's it's a blessing whenever Any American can be freed and come home But you know that they treat you Differently You know that they treat former military Like Paul Whelan differently we need to Get him home strike any kind of a deal I Mean look you put a a thirsty blood Killer Victor boot back back in the open Planet Um Russia is how can they not think that There's more coming to their benefit Look at what we did but we got to get Our people home absolutely I mean if They're not going to protect the ones Here with an open border let's go at

Least get the ones that are in other Countries where we need to rescue them Oh my goodness we could talk for hours But we can't show is not that long uh Pete hexa thank you so very much hey Look you definitely want to check out This Pete has a new special the life of Jesus part two God Saves us he and his Pastor travel across the holy land to Retrace the steps of Jesus it's Available right now on Fox Nation if you Didn't see the first one it's still up You can watch it and then watch this one It is so compelling don't miss it we're Almost at Good Friday Easter weekend Good timing hey everyone I'm Emily Compagno catch me and my co-host Harris Faulkner and Kaylee mcaneny on Outnumbered every weekday at 12 p.m Eastern or sets your DVR also don't Forget to subscribe to the Fox News YouTube page for daily highlights