Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday pushed back against criticism that President Trump is letting China off the hook for allowing the spread of the coronavirus, predicting a crackdown on Beijing as soon as the crisis passes.
Mr. Cruz said the president’s immediate attention must be focused on the health and financial crises caused by the pandemic, but Mr. Trump soon will turn his attention to China’s role in the global catastrophe.
“I have every confidence — particularly as we come out of the urgency of the crisis — that the next stage will naturally turn to who is responsible for what we just endured and how do we get clear, credible, objective answers and how do we hold China accountable,” the Texas Republican said.
“I know the president wants to do that … I’ve had multiple conversations with him about that,” he said.
Mr. Cruz made the comments during a webcast discussion with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who has filed a lawsuit against China claiming it did little to stop the spread of the virus.
Republicans have grumbled that the Trump administration had not done enough to hold China accountable.
Although Mr. Trump has railed against China on Twitter and during press conferences, the administration has not taken bold steps that some Republicans have demanded.
Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, has suggested freezing Chinese assets to help Americans recoup costs from the pandemic.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has criticized China almost weekly since the pandemic began and has called for the U.S. to be less reliant on China for prescription drugs and medical equipment.
A coalition of Republican attorneys general this week called for Mr. Trump to create a state-federal partnership to hold China accountable for coronavirus damages.
The 14 attorneys general point the blame at China saying the Asian superpower misled world health authorities and concealed critical information that could have stopped the spread of the coronavirus.
Mr. Schmitt, the Missouri attorney general, emphasized the need for a state and federal partnership to determine the best course of action.
“We all have a role to play,” he said during the webcast.
“The more and more we learn about this, the more devastating the indictment is on the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government,” he said.
Mr. Schmitt is not the only state attorney general to pursue legal action against China. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch also filed a lawsuit.
“State attorneys general often are points of the spear,” Mr. Cruz said. “State AGs can be quick, nimble and aggressive and we’ve seen them drive legal challenges, some good, some bad, but be aggressively out there on the front of the charge.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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