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Mike Gallagher confronts CCP aggression head-on during Taiwan trip: Top Republican says US ‘stands firmly’ with its critical partner despite a ‘fractious election’ and $2 billion in foreign military funds stalled in Congress

A top Republican is working to show strength against the CCP even as billions of dollars in critical military assistance to Taiwan are being held up by a fractured Congress.

Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), led a bipartisan trip to Taiwan this week as the small island grapples with increasing hostility from its neighboring country.

While on the ground, Gallagher emphasized challenges faced by Taiwan due rising aggression by Chinese President Xi Jinping but reiterated America’s unwavering commitment to backing the nation. 


His strong show of support for the United States’ critical partner in the Indo-Pacific came as Republicans in Congress are currently holding up more than $2 billion in foreign military assistance.

Gallagher told DailyMail.com Friday that the trip sent a ‘strong signal’ that the U.S. stands with Taiwan despite a gridlocked Congress and statements made by 2024 frontrunner Donald Trump against the supplemental aid package.

He said that people of Taiwan should feel ‘confident’ that the U.S. will ‘stand firmly’ with them ‘regardless of how fractious our election gets.’

Mike Gallagher and Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te shake hands

Mike Gallagher and Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te shake hands

Mike Gallagher and Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te shake hands


Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a meeting with U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a meeting with U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a meeting with U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher

The Senate-passed $95 billion in total aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is unlikely to come up for a vote in the House soon after Speaker Mike Johnson said he is focused on wrapping up the appropriations process by a first March 1 deadline.

The group to Taiwan included Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.

Krishnamoorthi told DailyMail.com on a call that the trip demonstrated that all eyes are on how the U.S. handles the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and demonstrates why the supplemental funding is critical. 


‘You can’t be tough and China and weak on Ukraine,’ he said ‘and so this really reinforced for me why we have to get the supplemental request through the House.’ 

While in Taiwan, lawmakers met with top officials including outgoing Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, and President-Elect Lai Ching-te and Vice President-Elect Hsiao Bi-khim. They also engaged with Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu and Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang.

Xi Jinping’s strategy called ‘America Against America’ is ‘pitting’ allies against each other in an attempt to ‘undermine our countries and our resolve,’ said Gallagher while on the ground in Taiwan.

‘But that strategy is failing. Standing here, together, we are evidence of that failure,’ he said in remarks alongside Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. 


‘Democrats and Republicans, Blues and Greens, the people of Taiwan and the people of America – united against Chinese Communist Party aggression… Free People don’t need a dictator to tell them what to think. They know the truth,’ he stated. 

Gallagher also said that Taiwan ‘must remain as it stands today, a candle burning freely, fiercely and improbably against the darkness’ as the Chinese become increasingly hostile. 

The incoming leader of Taiwan turned attention to a ‘rapidly changing global geopolitical landscape’ that he says comes in addition to ‘tremendous pressure and diplomatic, military and economic coercion from China.’

‘We hope that the United States and like-minded countries will also continue to back Taiwan,’ he added.


Their trip also came as federal agencies were ‘urgently investigating’ whether a massive cellular outage that plagued Americans on Thursday was a cyberattack with potential links to China. 

The FBI and DHS launched an investigation after 74,000 users across the AT&T network were unable to make calls on Thursday, with thousands more at other networks left without service according to DownDetector. Thousands more at other networks were left without service. 

The disastrous cell phone outage at AT&T was only a fraction of what ‘will’ happen in the U.S. when China invades Taiwan, one U.S. senator warned.

‘I don’t know the cause of the AT&T outage,’ said Sen. Marco Rubio, Fla., top Republican on the Intelligence Committee. 


‘But I do know it will be 100 times worse when #China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a #Taiwan invasion. And it won’t be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water and your bank,’ he went on.

Gallagher told DailyMail.com Friday that ‘you have to assume the U.S. homeland would be targeted’ if and when China invades Taiwan.

‘The CCP would seek to exploit those vulnerabilities and weaponize supply chains where we remain dependent on China.’ 

U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) attends a press conference with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, U.S. Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), U.S. Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI), Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) at Taipei Guest House in Taipei, Taiwan

U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) attends a press conference with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, U.S. Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), U.S. Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI), Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) at Taipei Guest House in Taipei, Taiwan

U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) attends a press conference with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, U.S. Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), U.S. Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI), Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) at Taipei Guest House in Taipei, Taiwan


Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, right, talks to Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, center

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, right, talks to Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, center

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, right, talks to Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, center

Mike Gallagher shakes hands with Taiwan's Parliament Speaker Han Kuo-yu

Mike Gallagher shakes hands with Taiwan's Parliament Speaker Han Kuo-yu

Mike Gallagher shakes hands with Taiwan’s Parliament Speaker Han Kuo-yu

The lawmakers acknowledged that this issue came up while they were on the ground in Taiwan – and it’s a massively important problem. 

Krishnamoorthi told DailyMail.com that there has to be a public-private partnership to ‘upgrade software’ that is currently providing easy access for Chinese hackers. 


‘We’ve got to step up our cyber defense game,’ he added.  

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