US lawmaker Ro Khanna defends calling witness ‘racist’ in explosive China committee clash

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US Congressman Ro Khanna defended calling a witness 'racist' during a heated US House Select Committee hearing on China regarding comments about Chinese-Americans who obtain US citizenship by birthright. The confrontation centered on issues of economic espionage and subnational influence.

Ro Khanna, the ranking member of the US House Select Committee on China, has defended calling a witness “racist” during testimony last week over comments on Chinese-Americans who obtain US citizenship through birthright. The heated exchange took place during a June 25 hearing on economic espionage and subnational influence, where Khanna confronted Michael Lucci, founder of the Texas-based State Armor non-profit organisation, over a controversial social media post published in April. In the post,...