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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Martin Pengelly in New York, Maya Yang and agencies

White House rejects Republican fire over wait to down Chinese spy balloon

The US transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, rejected Republican criticism of Joe Biden over the eight-day wait to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon which flew over military sites.

“The president gave instructions to have it shot down in a way that was safe,” Buttigieg told CNN’s State of the Union, of the operation off the Carolina coast on Saturday.

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