Blackburn to Newsmax: Trump Acting on Venezuela to 'Protect Americans'

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Tuesday on Newsmax, commended President Donald Trump for "taking action to protect Americans" as tensions escalate between the United States and Venezuela.

"We know Venezuela has been at the center of this narco-terrorist activity, and we are fully aware of what has transpired there," the Tennessee Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."

"I do not know what the president's specific plans are, but what we do know is he is determined to protect Americans, to protect American lives, and to end what we have seen as a war on so many communities with the impact of drugs," Blackburn said.

She added that in her state, law enforcement officials continue to warn about cartel activity reaching deeper into U.S. communities.

"As I talked to law enforcement and sheriffs, one of the things they repeatedly mentioned to me is how aggressive the drug cartels and these drug organizations have been in establishing hubs in the United States so that they are able to push drugs into every community in our country," Blackburn said.

Turning to Tennessee politics, Blackburn predicted that Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, who has been endorsed by Trump in the state's 7th Congressional District special election, will win the race on Tuesday.

Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, is facing Democrat state Rep. Aftyn Behn in the contest for the open seat, which was vacated after former Rep. Mark Green resigned on July 21.

Blackburn criticized Behn as a "self-described radical," saying she is "completely out of step with where Tennesseans are."

"What you have seen is a radical, self-described radical," Blackburn said. "I will say who, as you said, has been vocal about defunding the police, believes that men can have babies, is completely out of step with where Tennesseans are, hates country music and hates Christianity, hates Nashville, and has seemingly done a job in the community of registering Democrats and getting Democrats active and motivated in her race."

Blackburn also addressed security concerns after the shootings of National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, who died of her injuries, and Andrew Wolfe, who remains in critical condition after an attack last week in Washington, D.C.

"We want to make certain that our guardsmen and women are going to be safe, that all of our military is going to be safe," Blackburn said.

"And I encourage everyone who is watching your show to pray for Andrew Wolfe, who is fighting for his life right now, who was injured in that attack. And of course, Sarah Beckstrom's family. We remember them, and lift them up during this time of loss."

She pointed to what she described as federal-state cooperation in Memphis as a model for reducing violent crime.

"Memphis can be the model for how you break these cycles of crime in these cities," Blackburn said.

Blackburn also on Tuesday promoted legislation aimed at protecting children online, arguing that current safeguards in the digital space lag behind protections in the physical world.

"It is imperative that we pass the Kids Online Safety Act, that we make certain that children are going to be protected in the virtual space, just as they are in the physical space," Blackburn said.

"But yet, in the virtual space, children are subjected to every bit of this 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year," she said. "It is the Wild West, and when our children are online, our children are the product, and Big Tech is making billions of dollars, billions of dollars as they expose our children to these harms."

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