Ex-US defense chief says he'd shoot down Chinese spy balloon

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper discusses a Chinese spy plane hovering over the US. #CNN #News

[mikes]

This isn’t about spying. It’s about seeing how we react.

[justice]

How can a spy balloon, from a unfriendly superpower, not be a threat?

[keithhoss]

Wouldn’t it be better to capture it and analyze it?

[emmagreen]

What troubles me is that somebody had to just look up and see it, with all our airspace surveillance equipment. This was just drifting along. But we are supposed to believe they'd know if a volley of rockets came this way at the speed of sound. And without knowing anything about it, its still just hovering around in US air space.

[GSXK]

You have to admit it is kinda humiliating to the U.S. having your enemies' balloon just parked over Montana. Just sitin' there. Eyeballing everyone.

[kennyjames]

Why would you let an adversary's SPY BALLOON fly over your country without capturing it or shooting it down? Insane.

[TraJonRD]

Something doesn't feel right about this.. on every level

[wannamontana]

Agree with Esper .... We could examine it to see what we could learn.

[rebeccaharrishunt]

Hard to believe that with all our military technology there isn't a way to snag, capture, and surgically find out what's in it.

[tritiumeye]

I'm convinced I'm living in a family guy skit.

[cylentone]

Billions for stealth planes and air defence and when a balloon shows up, everyone is helpless... this is worrying.

[wikilee]

They don't understand human language. They only understand fists.

[MD-oygv]

They didn’t see this before it got over Montana? That’s a hard sell!

[bivensify]

It's like a bully is poking you in the shoulder saying, "What you gonna do." What's next.

[nedkent]

And to think, the USA propped up China pulling them from 3rd World country status!

[oo-jd-oo]

I say we send our own balloon over there and then when they shoot it down and it hits the ground a little flag pops out that says "Bang" on it. In the mean time I urge everyone in Montana to walk outside and flip off the sky

[jb]

Why did it take until the balloon floated to Montana before it was detected?

[NHLblkgurl]

I’m going to pull up my Tik Tok account to read about how the Chinese have a balloon that’s spying on us..

[rightrightright]

Congratulation for shoot down a target (size of 3 big buses) with 4 missiles !! Well done.

[chrisjames]

There must be a reason they're not shooting it down, a reason they're choosing not to share with the public.