How will Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan play in the US midterm elections?
- Visit by the US House Speaker comes as campaign season heats up, with both Democrats and Republicans vying to appear tough on China
- While polls show anti-China feelings rising in US, analysts question whether those will play much of a role with voters focused on domestic issues like inflation
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stirred global anxieties on Tuesday by travelling to Taiwan and meeting with officials there in a fraught atmosphere that portends possible economic and military crises among the US, its allies and China.
But back home, her defiance of Beijing – which had warned her not to take the trip and condemned it as a “serious crush” to US-China relations – has elicited support not only from fellow Democrats but from Republicans as well. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the leader of Senate Republicans, and 25 other Republican senators praised the trip.
06:03
US House Speaker Pelosi meets Taiwanese president, officials and activists on controversial visit
Welcome to the US midterm election season, a time when Republican and Democratic candidates alike have been leaning on the “China threat” to American security and prosperity to garner votes. Pelosi’s trip has infused new urgency to look tougher on China, sparking a game of one-upmanship between the two parties.
But not all: Some Republicans questioned the timing and purpose of the “dangerous” move, since it coincided with the start of the 100-day countdown to the midterm elections.
Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, criticised Pelosi for making the visit “all about her” by not having any Republican in her Taiwan delegation.
“If she really wanted to demonstrate strength from the United States of America, she would have brought Kevin McCarthy along,” he said, referring to the ranking House Republican.