Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said Tuesday on Newsmax that the new "axis of evil" of China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia is a top concern for the United States.
In the backdrop of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, she warned "The Chris Salcedo Show" viewers of those working to overthrow U.S. global hegemony.
"We should be paying close attention to this," Blackburn stressed. "And, of course, with Kim Jong Un going to Russia and meeting and looking at where they can partner. Of course, you think about Ukraine. ... You think about the Indo-Pacific and those islands nations – about Taiwan, about South Korea."
Blackburn further accused Putin and his ilk of going into countries to "nab territory and to grab individuals" instead of spreading freedom, as well as investing in "next-generation weaponry" to potentially use against the U.S.
"We already know that Iran is working with Russia to manufacture drones in Russia – that China is the banker on this," Blackburn claimed. "And [President] Joe Biden and the administration want to give Iran another $6 billion. I mean, come on."
The senator is referring to an investigative report from The Washington Post published in August that found Russia is working towards manufacturing 6,000 variants of the Iranian attack drone known as Geran-2.
She then mentioned recent news that the Biden administration approved a waiver allowing banks to transfer $6 billion in restricted Iranian funds to Qatar as a step towards freeing five Americans detained in Iran.
"What do you think they're going to do with this money," Blackburn asked about the billions going to Tehran. "They are not going to go out there and provide food aid and be generous to their people or others. They're going to use this aimed at us."
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Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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