GOP Rep. James Comer concerned Chinese spy balloon may contain bioweapons

Republican House Representative James Comer (Ky.) spoke out about the Chinese spy balloon that was spotted floating over the US on Friday, saying it may contain bioweapons.

Appearing on Fox News in an interview with Harris Faulkner on Friday after news broke of the balloon being spotted over Montana in the morning, Comer claimed the Biden administration should never have allowed the balloon to enter US airspace in the first place. 

He called the incident “another sign of weakness” from the Oval Office and said the US should have shot down the balloon before it entered US airspace. US officials have said they opted not to shoot down the balloon over land over safety concerns, but the White House is reportedly considering shooting it down once it is over water. 

Comer floated the idea that the balloon may have originated in Wuhan, where the COVID-19 virus was first detected. “Is it bioweapons in that balloon? Did that balloon take off from Wuhan? We don’t know anything about that balloon,” Comer said. 

The Chinese government has confirmed it owns the balloon and claims it is a weather balloon that went adrift and did not intend to enter any other country’s airspace. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the balloon flying over the US is a violation of United States sovereignty and announced he is postponing his upcoming trip to Beijing in light of the incident.

The balloon is currently headed in a southeastern direction and is expected to make its way over the Atlantic somewhere along the east coast, depending on the wind.