Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy suggested Monday that he would not commit to defending Taiwan — one of America’s top allies in Asia — against an attack from communist China if America were to no longer be reliant on Taiwan for semiconductors.

Ramaswamy told radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview Monday that China “should not mess with Taiwan until we have achieved semiconductor independence,” which he claimed he could achieve in less than four years. After that though, he said, his commitment to intervention would “change.”

“I’m being very clear: Xi Jinping should not mess with Taiwan until we have achieved semiconductor independence, until the end of my first term when I will lead us there,” Ramaswamy said Monday, as reported by the Washington Examiner. “And after that, our commitments to Taiwan, our commitments to be willing to go to military conflict, will change after that, because that’s rationally in our self-interest.”

Hewitt pointed out that Ramaswamy “drew a red line around Taiwan, a big, bright red line” and asked if that means there would be “war” if China invaded Taiwan before 2028 or the U.S. achieved semiconductor independence.

“I’m not committing to that,” Ramaswamy replied. He would commit, though, to continue to “deter” an invasion until the U.S. has semiconductor independence through various means, he said.

The presidential candidate’s comments about Taiwan prompted a response from Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, who noted that the island nation’s “security will remain tied to US security regardless of semiconductors *as long as the US is determined to remain the world’s preeminent power.* This isn’t a game.”

Heinrichs, an expert on foreign policy, said that the idea of letting China invade Taiwan was “dangerous.”

“We are talking about risking slaughter of human beings, squashing a democracy, pushing the US out of the region and handing it to the Marxist, expansionist, violent CCP,” she wrote.

Ramaswamy previously suggested that the U.S. should stop China from invading Taiwan by giving guns to Taiwanese citizens.

“Here’s how we protect Taiwan without going to war with China: open a branch of the NRA in Taiwan, put an AR-15 in the hands of every family, and train them how to use it,” he said at an event. “That’ll give Xi Jinping a taste of American exceptionalism.”

The U.S. currently approaches the question of Taiwan’s sovereignty and the potential U.S. response to Chinese aggression with “strategic ambiguity.”

This article has been revised for clarity and emphasis.

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following four stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. Click here to listen. 

What’s Going On In Georgia?

Confusion sprang up on Monday after the Fulton County Court in Georgia published a document on its website appearing to show that former President Donald Trump was being charged over a slew of crimes — including RICO violations — only for that document to be taken down almost immediately afterward.

The grand jury in Fulton County, where district attorney Fani Willis is expected to bring charges this week, is reportedly still meeting today and tomorrow to discuss any potential indictments against Trump for his actions relating to the 2020 election. The Trump team and his supporters used the incident to castigate Willis and claim it was further proof that the justice system was rigged against the potential 2024 GOP nominee.

Rapid Reaction: At this point, why would anybody give Fulton County the benefit of the doubt? The district attorney’s office has yet to explain what that document posted online was. The grand jury is still hearing evidence. Meanwhile, somebody on Willis’ team is apparently leaking evidence to CNN. You can disagree with Trump’s election theories while still admitting that the wielding of state and federal power against him is troubling — even anti-American.

Biden Has ‘No Comment’ On Hawaii

President Joe Biden is catching heat for his remarks, or lack thereof in the wake of the tragedy unfolding in Maui. While in Rehoboth Beach on Sunday afternoon, the president was asked by the press for his reaction to the blaze that has killed more than 90 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage. He responded by saying he had “no comment.”  Here’s the clip:

"Any comment on the rising death toll in Maui?"

BIDEN: "No. No comment." pic.twitter.com/oORpRuLUpz

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 14, 2023

The president did authorize federal emergency aid for the Aloha State as it recovers from the devastating wildfire.

Rapid Reaction: Paging, Mr. Empathy. Biden has been propped up by the Democratic Party and its media allies as a decent and kind politician who cares for the plight of the common man. Anybody who has paid attention to his career has known that is a bogus characterization.

Yet, now as president, his low emotional quotient has been on full display. Hawaii is just his latest example of tone deafness. See also his treatment of the Afghanistan withdrawal survivors as well as the Nashville shooting victims.

What did he do on Monday? Well, his communications team tweeted out some statements on Hawaii, but Biden got lunch with his veep:

The only thing on President Biden's schedule today is lunch… pic.twitter.com/pm0RJvl9nE

— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) August 14, 2023

Oversight Transcript Alleges That Biden Team Tipped Off About Hunter Interview

The House Oversight Committee released a transcript of a former FBI agent claiming that Joe Biden’s 2020 transition team and members of the Secret Service were notified of the bureau’s plans to interview Hunter Biden in December 2020 — and that that led to the interview of Hunter getting shut down, per The Daily Caller. The anonymous agent’s testimony corroborated other FBI and IRS whistleblower complaints.

Rapid Reaction: Will the Bidens ever be held accountable? Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro broke down on his podcast, “The Ben Shapiro Show” the latest in this never-ending saga. Watch and listen here: Joe Biden’s Big Hunter Coverup

Things Are Super Expensive

A new report from Moody’s Analytics shows that the typical American household is paying $709 more per month for the same goods and services as it was two years ago, CNN reported. That cost increase reflects the high rate of inflation that has plagued much of the Biden presidency

Rapid Reaction: That’s Bidenomics, baby!

Political Upset In Argentina

Argentine voters rejected the country’s two main political forces in a primary election on Sunday, and put their support behind libertarian candidate Javier Milei.  Milei got just over 30% of the vote and now heads for the general election set for October 22nd. This shakeup comes after power was traded between two mainstream political coalitions for the last decade.

Rapid Reaction: In reaction to this upset, author and political strategist Ryan Girdusky  tweeted,  “Political earthquake in Argentina … arguably as big as Bolsonaro being elected in Brazil.”

Nearly 90% in and an anarchic-capitalist is leading the presidential primary in Argentina https://t.co/ekqgoD9jVa

— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) August 14, 2023

Milei’s candidacy has largely been a protest campaign against the Argentine elite, as described by The Wall Street Journal. He was never supposed to win.

“If we don’t change today, the only destiny will be to turn into the biggest slum in the world,”  Milei told his supporters earlier this year. “I don’t want your vote so you give me the power, but to give you back your freedom so you can be the architects of your own destiny and we can end this state that makes us poor, with inflation and crime, and put the country on the path to growth.”

Perhaps, in other words, he wants to put “Argentina First.” Sound familiar?

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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.