Tucker Carlson talked with Executive Director of The National Security Institute Jamil Jaffer about why we haven’t shot down the Chinese spy balloon.

GALLAGHER: Here was a conversation last night. Remember keep in mind. Tucker, like me, is an America first guy. Endless wars. Why are we sending other peoples children to fight wars in other parts of the world? Americans largely elected Trump as a response to that question so when you say we should shoot down a Chinese balloon that is 50,000 feet up in the air in Montana, do you think of the ramifications? Here was Tucker last night with Jamil Jaffer of The National Security Institute on Fox News.

CARLSON: Presidents make a lot of complicated decisions. This doesn’t seem complicated. There is a Chinese spy balloon. Why not shoot it down? What do you think is happening here?

JAFFER: Great question Tucker. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Chinese spy balloons over U.S. territory in the past. What’s interesting about this is we called and made it public and they froze the air space over billings, Montana, and booked planes up thinking about taking the shot. Why they didn’t take the shot or down, hard to know, Tucker, it’s worth noting back in 2001, the Chinese forced down an American spy plane on Hyde island, kidnapped men and women, stole surveillance assets off the plane. That was almost two decades ago.

CARLSON: You almost answered my question. Do you think if the American Pentagon floated a spy balloon over Chinese missile bases that Xi would say, I am not sure how to respond. Maybe we should just let it keep floating?

JAFFER: It is highly unlikely. Nancy Pelosi went to Taiwan few months back. Kevin McCarthy going to taiwan shortly and the taiwanese were threatening to shoot down Nancy Pelosi’s plane and clear the Chinese would take action and surprising we’re not.

CARLSON : You want to be as fair as possible and so much we don’t know and you’re tempted to leap to the conclusion that these people are completely impitent, but could there be a good reason they’re not shooting it down?

JAFFER: You could say they want to see where it goes and what they’re trying to track. Is it looking at icbms and may be collecting information off it too and there’s a possibility and good reasons for not shooting it down but it is odd you’d announce it, make it clear you’ve seen it, and then not take action.