Spain says recall of Argentina ambassador ‘permanent’ as spat intensifies
Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei says decision to recall envoy ‘absurd’ and calls Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez ‘arrogant’. Spain says the withdrawal of its ambassador to Argentina will be “permanent”, as a diplomatic spat between the two countries continues to escalate following derogatory remarks by far-right Argentinian President Javier Milei. “The ambassador will permanently stay in Madrid,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters on Tuesday, using stronger diplomatic parlance than in previous days. “We have no interest in nor desire for any escalation, but it’s the government’s obligation to defend the dignity and sovereignty of Spanish institutions, especially when the aggression occurs in the capital of Spain.” The Spanish government recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires after Milei levied corruption allegations against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife Begona Gomez during an event in Madrid. “The global elites don’t realise how destructive it can be to implement the ideas of socialism … even if you have a corrupt wife, let’s say, it gets dirty, and you take five days to think about it,” Milei said. Sanchez spent five days last month mulling his political future after a court opened a preliminary probe into his wife for suspected influence peddling and corruption. The prime minister dismissed the allegations against Gomez as part of a campaign of political harassment by right-wing forces. The comments by Milei, a far-right libertarian, came as Argentina and Spain had traded barbs in recent weeks over a range of issues, including drug use and poverty. On Tuesday, Milei said Spain’s decision to pull its ambassador from Buenos Aires was “absurd”. “It is absurd, typical of an arrogant socialist,” Milei said in an interview with broadcaster LN+, adding that the Spanish prime minister has an “inferiority complex” and should seek out “a psychologist for him to mature”. “This stains the international image of Spain and [shows] how arrogant they are, like believing that they are the state and that no one can tell them anything,” the Argentinian president said. Asked whether Argentina would in turn withdraw its ambassador from Spain, Milei replied: “No, not at all.” Meanwhile, Albares – the Spanish foreign minister – said the country’s embassy in Argentina would be headed by the charge d’affaires. He added that while ideological differences were debatable, “certain things aren’t”. Adblock test (Why?)
Cristiano Ronaldo poised for record as Portugal name squad for Euro 2024
The veteran striker will lead Portugal’s bid to win a second Euro title after being included in the 26-man squad. Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to set a Euro record after he was named in Portugal’s 26-man 2024 squad, unveiled by coach Roberto Martinez. The squad announcement on Tuesday all but confirmed that the 39-year-old, five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be appearing in his 11th major international tournament when Euro 2024 kicks off June 14 in Germany. He played his first at Euro 2004 and will be making a record sixth appearance at the men’s continental championship. He collected a winner’s medal in France in 2016, even though he went off injured after 25 minutes in the final. Ronaldo, who plays his club football for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, already holds the men’s world record for caps (206) and international goals (128). He again proved indispensable as Portugal won all 10 of their qualifying games, scoring 36 goals and conceding two. Ronaldo hit 10 goals in nine qualifying appearances. Praising “a player who has scored 42 goals in 41 matches for his club”, Martinez said he felt that the striker continued to offer “a quality in front of goal that we really appreciate and need”. In spite of his advancing years, Ronaldo will not be the senior player in the squad. His former Real Madrid teammate Pepe, 41, and now playing for Porto, has also been called up because of his “important role in the dressing room”, said Martinez. Before facing the Czech Republic, Turkey and then Georgia in Group F of the Euro, from 14 June to 14 July in Germany, the Selecao will play warm-up matches against Finland, Croatia and Ireland. Alongside Ronaldo in attack, Martinez has selected strikers Rafael Leao, Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos, as well as Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao. The creative midfielders include Bernardo Silva, who has just won an English title with Manchester City, and Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United. Squad: Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Patricio Roma/ITA), Jose Sa (Wolves/ENG) Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Barcelona/ESP), Nelson Semedo (Wolves/ENG), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting), Pepe (Porto), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA) Midfielders: Joao Palhinha (Fulham/ENG), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal/KSA), Joao Neves (Benfica), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Otavio Monteiro (Al Nassr/KSA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG) Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/KSA), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Joao Felix (FC Barcelona/ESP), Goncalo Ramos (Paris SG/FRA), Diogo Jota (Liverpool/ENG), Pedro Neto (Wolves/ENG), Francisco Conceicao (Porto) Adblock test (Why?)
‘A new low’: Biden admin eviscerated for response to ‘Butcher of Tehran’ Raisi’s death
Top House Republicans are coming down hard on the Biden administration for expressing condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, whose ruthless ways earned him the nickname “Butcher of Tehran.” “It is absurd that the Biden administration touted their support for human rights while, in the same breath, offering official condolences for the ‘Butcher of Tehran.’ Clearly, the Democrat Party of today has become the pro-terrorist party,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., called the State Department’s message “unacceptable, unnecessary, and outrageous.” “Biden’s State Department expressing condolences for the death of a brutal and monstrous enemy of America who tortured and killed his own people and led the charge to fund terrorist proxies around the world that have killed American soldiers is a new low for Joe Biden,” Stefanik wrote in a Tuesday morning statement. IRAN’S PRESIDENT, FOREIGN MINISTER, OTHER OFFICIALS CONFIRMED DEAD IN HELICOPTER CRASH “Sec. Blinken’s weak leadership and eagerness to appease the hostile Iranian regime reflects Biden’s policy of rolling over for our nation’s adversaries.” Raisi and Iran’s foreign minister were declared dead on Monday following a helicopter crash in a mountainous area of northwest Iran, the country’s state TV reported. The late conservative cleric was known for taking a brutal approach to silencing dissent, beginning in the 1980s when he was part of a four-judge panel accused of ordering the executions of as many as 30,000 political dissidents, according to some reports. As president, he also oversaw a harsh government response to mass protests over the killing of a 22-year-old woman who was accused of not wearing her hijab properly. UN HOLDS MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR ‘BUTCHER OF TEHRAN’ RAISI AFTER IRANIAN PRESIDENT DIES IN HELICOPTER CRASH The State Department released a brief statement upon news of Raisi’s death, “The United States expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran. As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” It prompted pushback from rank-and-file GOP lawmakers, in addition to leadership. “Ebrahim Raisi was known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’ for a REASON. He was an evil tyrant who persecuted & killed thousands of innocent Iranians & was a protégé of the Ayatollah himself,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., wrote on X Tuesday. “The United States SHOULD NOT be sending condolences. The world is a safer place WITHOUT him.” Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., called on the Biden administration to “publicly denounce” Iran’s regime in place of offering condolences, in addition to backing Iranian resistance fighters and returning to “the Trump Admin’s campaign of maximum pressure.” OUTRAGE AS IRAN PRESIDENT PREPARES TO ADDRESS UN: ‘WANTS TO KILL AMERICAN CITIZENS’ State Department spokesman Matt Miller defended the U.S. position when confronted about the controversy during a Monday afternoon press conference. CLICK HERE TO FOR THE FOX NEWS APP “We have been quite clear that Ebrahim Raisi was a brutal participant in the repression of the Iranian people for nearly four decades,” Miller said. “That said, we regret any loss of life. We don’t want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash. But that doesn’t change the reality of his record, both as a judge and as the president of Iran – the fact that he has blood on his hands. So I think most importantly, our fundamental approach to Iran has not changed and will not change.” Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for further comment.
Trump touts defense team has ‘won’ Manhattan case as he calls on Merchan to dismiss
Former President Trump said his defense team has already “won the case by any standard” in the NY v. Trump trial as he called on presiding Judge Juan Merchan to dismiss this case. “We have a phenomenal case. We’ve won the case by any standard, any other judge would have thrown this case, any other judge would have thrown this case out. And I think that Juan Merchan would do himself and the state and the city, a great service by doing what everybody knows should be done,” Trump said Tuesday morning outside the Manhattan courtroom. “I will be doing something in the morning and then probably coming back in the afternoon, and we’ll be resting pretty quickly. Resting, meaning resting the case. I won’t be resting. I don’t rest. I’d like to rest sometimes, but I don’t get to rest. But we are,” Trump added. The defense team rested the case shortly following Trump’s remarks, and Merchan dismissed the jury until after Memorial Day. Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche on Monday motioned for an order of dismissal, citing that there has been no evidence any of the business records or filings related to the case were false. The case itself focuses on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. DA Alvin Bragg’s office must prove to the jury that not only did Trump falsify the business records related to payments to former pornography star Stormy Daniels, but that he did so in furtherance of another crime – conspiracy to promote or prevent election. COHEN’S BOMBSHELL ADMISSION COULD LEAD TO HUNG JURY, IF NOT ACQUITTAL: EXPERT The prosecution team argues that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an affair with Trump. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case and has repeatedly denied any affair with Daniels. Blanche said there were “absolutely no false business filings” and no evidence of connection to Trump. “How on earth is keeping a false story from voters criminal?” Blanche said. NY V TRUMP: MICHAEL COHEN ADMITS TO STEALING TENS OF THOUSANDS FROM FORMER PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS Merchan told the court Monday he would rule on the motion to dismiss at a later time. The prosecution team’s star witness, Michael Cohen, on Monday admitted in testimony that he stole thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization. Cohen in bombshell testimony revealed that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization by overstating how much he paid a tech company that provided services for the company. Cohen said he told former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in 2017 that he had paid tech firm Red Finch $50,000 out of his own pocket, and that he still needed to be reimbursed for the payment. NY V. TRUMP: MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE’S CONSIDERING CONGRESSIONAL RUN Weisselberg and Cohen in 2017 calculated a $420,000 repayment to Cohen for his $130,000 payment to Daniels, as well as the alleged $50,000 payment to Red Finch. The repayment plan was “grossed up” compared to what Cohen said he paid to Daniels and Red Finch, sparing him a tax hit, and meaning he was able to pocket thousands from the Trump Org. Cohen said taking the funds was “almost like self-help,” claiming he took the funds because he was “angry” that his yearly bonus had been slashed. NY V. TRUMP TO RESUME WITH CONTINUED CROSS-EXAMINATION OF MICHAEL COHEN AS TRIAL NEARS CONCLUSION Amid his testimony Monday, Cohen also said he’s mulling a potential congressional run, citing he has the “best name recognition out there.” Tuesday, which marks the 20th day of court for the case, kicked off with continued testimony from defense witness Robert Costello, a former legal representative of Cohen who testified before a grand jury last year that Cohen is a “serial liar.” TRUMP SLAMS NY COURT SYSTEM, BOASTS HE’S GOING ‘TO WIN’ EMPIRE STATE The courtroom became tense during Costello’s testimony Monday, with Merchan ordering the media and jurors out of the room after Costello audibly and visibly disapproved of the judge’s rulings sustaining multiple objections from the prosecution team. “I want to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom,” Merchan said after the jury left. “You don’t say strike it because I’m the only one who can strike it.” Merchan reprimanded Costello to not roll his eyes or react to his rulings. Before the jury came back into the courtroom, Merchan asked Costello: “Are you staring me down?” Trump said Monday that Merchan can earn back “respect” if he rules to dismiss the case. “This case should be dropped by the judge. I think the judge, if he did, that… could gain the respect back. The appellate court has to step in, something has to happen. Think of it, the Republican Party, one of the two great parties, nominates somebody to be their candidate. And that candidate now has been sitting here for almost five weeks in a freezing cold icebox listening to this stuff,” Trump said Monday following a whirlwind day in court.
NY v. Trump: Defense rests without calling former president to testify; motion to dismiss pending
Defense attorneys in New York v. Trump rested their case Tuesday morning without calling former President Trump to the stand to testify. The prosecution rested its case Monday, and Trump defense attorneys called two witnesses — paralegal Daniel Sitko and a former legal adviser to Michael Cohen, Robert Costello — before resting its case. Judge Juan Merchan dismissed the jury until after Memorial Day. The next day, Tuesday, May 28, the jury will hear closing arguments from Trump defense attorneys and New York prosecutors. NY V TRUMP: JUDGE TO CONSIDER DEFENSE MOTION TO DISMISS AFTER PROSECUTION RESTS CASE The jury is expected to deliberate starting either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday after Memorial Day. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged former President Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts. Prosecutors needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified those records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic performer, in the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. The former president has maintained his innocence. Trump defense attorneys made a second attempt to dismiss the case Monday, and said no evidence had been presented by the prosecution to connect the former president to any falsification of business records. Defense attorneys motioned for dismissal after Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and the prosecution’s “star witness,” finished his testimony. Cohen testified that he personally made the $130,000 payment to Daniels using a home equity line of credit in an effort to conceal the payment from his wife. Cohen said he did this because Trump told him to “handle it” and prevent a negative story from coming out ahead of the election. But Trump’s defense attorneys maintained that the president never directed Cohen to do so. TRUMP SLAMS NY COURT SYSTEM, BOASTS HE’S GOING ‘TO WIN’ EMPIRE STATE Cohen testified that he was “reimbursed $420,000” for the $130,000 he paid to Daniels. Cohen said former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg suggested he “gross up” the payments and that Trump knew the details of the reimbursement. The prosecution presented Cohen with 11 checks totaling $420,000. Cohen confirmed that they were all received and deposited. The checks had a description of a “retainer,” which Cohen said was false. But Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche asked for an immediate order of dismissal, saying there is “no evidence” that the filings or business records at the center of the case were false, that there are “absolutely no false business filings.” Blanche said there is no dispute that Cohen acted as a personal attorney for Trump in 2017 and that there is no evidence or intent by Trump to mislead, hide or falsify business records. Blanche said there would be records of intent to defraud, if they existed, and that there were no other crimes being covered up. He said there was no evidence of anyone thinking of a campaign finance charge when the payment was made to Stormy Daniels or when Cohen and then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg developed the repayment plan. Blanche said Trump paid Cohen a $35,000 “monthly retainer,” which is what the records state, and said there is no evidence from any witness to prove any criminal intent. NY V TRUMP: MICHAEL COHEN ADMITS TO STEALING TENS OF THOUSANDS FROM FORMER PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS Reflecting on the prosecution’s case, Blanche pointed to the alleged “catch and kill” strategy used to prevent a “demonstrably false” story a Trump Tower doorman had about Trump from being published. “How on Earth is keeping a false story from voters criminal?” Blanche asked, adding it was “not a catch and kill and certainly not a criminal catch and kill.” “There is no way the court should let this case go to the jury with Mr. Cohen’s testimony,” Blanche said, adding that Cohen has lied under oath in the past and during the current criminal trial in Merchan’s courtroom. Merchan asked Blanche if he should “find Mr. Cohen not credible by a matter of law,” to which Blanche said “yes.” COHEN’S BOMBSHELL ADMISSION COULD LEAD TO HUNG JURY, IF NOT ACQUITTAL: EXPERT “So, you want me to take it out of the jury’s hands?” Merchan asked, with Blanche responding that Cohen’s entire testimony should not be considered by the jury. Merchan told Blanche that if Cohen’s “lies” were “irrefutable,” then he would be able to convince the jury of that. The prosecution then argued that under the New York state falsifying business records statute, anyone “causing” the falsified records can be punished. “As a matter of law, it is sufficient, more than sufficient, that the defendant set in motion the sequence of events leading to the falsification of business records,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo argued. Merchan said he would reserve a ruling on whether to dismiss the case before the jury can deliberate. Trump, on Tuesday, spoke to reporters outside the courtroom, saying his defense team has already essentially “won” the case. Trump said Merchan should side “decisively” against Bragg. “Any other judge would have thrown this case out,” Trump said.
Unused COVID-19 funds would build border wall under new Senate bill
FIRST ON FOX: A new bill could designate unused federal COVID-19 funds to be used to continue the construction of the southern border wall as an illegal immigration crisis continues and voters cite the issue as one of the most important going into the November elections. Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., introduced an amendment on Tuesday to a Democrat-backed border bill that is set to come back to the floor later this week. BIDEN ADMIN SKEWERED BY GOP FOR RULE DESIGNED TO ‘INTENTIONALLY HARM’ GUN INDUSTRY Titled “The Build the Wall Act of 2024,” the measure would create a “Southern Border Wall Construction Fund” and instruct the Department of Homeland Security to use unobligated funds that were initially authorized for pandemic recovery. “Border walls work. Before President Biden came into office, we were well on our way to a secure and safe southern border. But on his first day in office, the president and Democrats rolled out the welcome mat for millions of illegal immigrants to come into our nation,” Barrasso said in a statement. REPUBLICANS UNITE TO BLOCK WHITE HOUSE AND SCHUMER BACKED ‘FAKE BORDER BILL’ “We must hold Democrats accountable for their open border policies that have created the worst border crisis in our nation’s history. If they are serious about securing our border, they should have no issues voting for a policy that actually works and is already paid for,” he continued. DUELING IVF BILLS TAKE CENTER STAGE AS PARTIES BUTT HEADS ON REPRODUCTIVE TECH REGULATION The Democrat-backed border bill is expected to fail a test vote this week. GOP senators rejected the measure as too weak after it was negotiated by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and James Lankford, R-Okla. Some even claimed the immigration bill would make the current border crisis worse. Republicans have reaffirmed their backing of a tougher House-backed immigration measure, known as H.R. 2. BALANCE OF POWER: VULNERABLE DEMS LOOK TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES FROM UNPOPULAR BIDEN Barrasso’s proposal to use unspent COVID-19 relief money for the wall comes after Republicans criticized the Department of Treasury’s latest guidance on the COVID-19 State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds granted in President Biden’s much touted American Rescue Plan. SEN DURBIN DEMANDS JUSTICE ALITO RECUSE FROM TRUMP CASES AFTER FLYING UPSIDE-DOWN US FLAG In March, the department changed its guidance in regard to the unspent COVID-19 relief funds, stating “that qualifying recipients can use remaining funds on a broad range of uses to fund affordable housing serving very low-income families.” Republicans sought to prevent the change last week, but they were blocked in the Senate by Democrats in a party-line vote.
Excise policy case: Delhi HC dismisses bail pleas of AAP leader Manish Sisodia
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma is likely to pronounce the orders on both bail pleas at 5 PM on May 21, according to the cause list uploaded on the high court’s website
Biden admin skewered by GOP for rule designed to ‘intentionally harm’ gun industry
FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans are scrutinizing President Biden’s Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo over a move they claim is designed to “intentionally harm” the U.S. firearm industry. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, led 22 other Senate Republicans in calling on the Biden administration to withdraw a “deeply misguided rule and its associated license revocations.” Last month, the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced an interim final rule (IFR) that would see valid export licenses revoked from American companies “that authorize exports of firearms to non-government end users” in certain areas. REPUBLICANS UNITE TO BLOCK WHITE HOUSE AND SCHUMER BACKED ‘FAKE BORDER BILL’ According to the DOC, the new rule is intended to “reduce the risk of legally exported firearms and related items being diverted or misused to fuel regional instability, drug trafficking, human rights violations, political violence, and other activities that undermine U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.” However, Scott alleged in a letter to Raimondo that the new policy is an example of Biden using the administrative state and the rule-making process as a means to “target legal U.S. industries and advance progressive policies.” “We are concerned that the Department issued the Rule in an attempt to intentionally harm the firearms industry,” the letter continued. DUELING IVF BILLS TAKE CENTER STAGE AS PARTIES BUTT HEADS ON REPRODUCTIVE TECH REGULATION The Republicans slammed the fact that the new rule would “revoke existing licensing for 36 countries and subject current license holders to a new licensing system.” Per the lawmakers, this is unprecedented, as the U.S. “did not take such a drastic step even when acting on grave national security threats in the past, including previous actions related to Chinese hypertonic missiles, nuclear weapons proliferation, or China’s resumed exercise of authority over Hong Kong.” The letter additionally requested that Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Undersecretary Alan Estevez and Assistant Secretary Thea Kendler are made available to potentially testify before the banking committee. BALANCE OF POWER: VULNERABLE DEMS LOOK TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES FROM UNPOPULAR BIDEN The correspondence was co-led by Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., and was signed by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., John Thune, R-S.D., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., among several others. Lawrence Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), told Fox News Digital in a statement that the rule is “another example of the Biden administration’s whole-of-government attack on the firearm industry for political purposes.” “This rule punishes firearm manufacturers and exporters by blocking hundreds of millions of dollars of lawful exports and will result in lost sales earnings and cost Americans good-paying manufacturing jobs,” he added. SEN DURBIN DEMANDS JUSTICE ALITO RECUSE FROM TRUMP CASES AFTER FLYING UPSIDE-DOWN US FLAG Keane further alleged, “There is no foundation to the Biden administration’s claim this over-burdensome rule is necessary to reduce overseas crime or improve national security.” The Department of Commerce did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.
Brij Bhushan Singh, ex-WFI chief, pleads not guilty in sexual harassment case
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, along with co-accused and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, stood before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot, where they pleaded not guilty and opted for a trial.
China sanctions former Republican Rep Mike Gallagher after Taiwan president’s inauguration
The Chinese foreign ministry announced sanctions against former Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., on Tuesday, the day after Taiwan inaugurated a new president. The former U.S. lawmaker, whose early departure from Congress last month further narrowed the GOP’s slim House majority, has been banned from entering China, the ministry said according to Reuters. The Chinese foreign ministry reportedly said Gallagher “interfered in China’s internal affairs” without elaborating, and that China, therefore, will freeze his assets in the country and ban organizations and individuals there from cooperating with him. At a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also criticized U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for congratulating Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te. “It’s a serious violation of the political commitment made by the US to maintain only cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the Taiwan region,” Wang said, according to Bloomberg. CHINA’S FOREIGN MINISTRY BLASTS TAIWAN INAUGURATION, PHILIPPINES STANDOFF IN SOUTH CHINA SEA In February, Gallagher led a U.S. congressional delegation to visit Taiwan, where he met with both then-President Tsai Ing-wen and her successor, Lai. According to the select committee, Gallagher told Tsai that the trip was meant for Democrats and Republicans to show “our bipartisan support for this partnership” and thanked her for “not only being an` incredible leader here in Taiwan, but really distinguishing yourself as a leader within the free world.” “Freedom is under attack from authoritarian aggression. And we need to be more vigilant than ever if we want to pass on this gift of freedom we’ve been given to the next generation,” he said at the time. Just days ago, Gallagher formally joined the Hudson Institute, an American conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., as a distinguished fellow. During an inaugural event on Monday, Gallagher, the former chairman of the House select committee on the CCP, discussed how China is fueling the fentanyl trade in the U.S. and “underscored the need to bolster deterrence in the Indo-Pacific,” according to the institute. Lai said in his inauguration speech Monday that he wants peace with China and urged it to stop its military threats and intimidation of the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory. CHINA COULD ‘OVERWHELM’ US MILITARY BASES AS BIDEN SHOWS ‘ALARMING LACK OF URGENCY’: HOUSE COMMITTEE CHAIR “I hope that China will face the reality of (Taiwan)’s existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan, and in good faith, choose dialogue over confrontation,” Lai said after being sworn into office. Lai pledged to “neither yield nor provoke” Beijing and said he sought peace in relations with China. However, he emphasized the island democracy is determined to defend itself “in the face of the many threats and attempts at infiltration from China,” according to The Associated Press. The Chinese office in charge of Taiwan affairs criticized Lai’s inauguration speech as promoting “the fallacy of separatism,” inciting confrontation and relying on foreign forces to seek independence. “We will never tolerate or condone any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities,” Chen Binhua, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council, said, adding that adversaries “cannot stop the historical trend of the motherland’s eventual reunification.” The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Monday also announced sanctions against Boeing and two other defense companies for arms sales to Taiwan. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP Lai, 64, takes over from Tsai, who led Taiwan through eight years of economic and social development despite the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s escalating military threats. Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province and has been upping its threats to annex it by force if necessary. The Associated Press contributed to this report.