Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) supported the Trump administration’s early efforts to prevent America’s Diego Garcia military base on the Chagos Islands from falling into the hands of Mauritius, a small island nation with close ties to China. Kennedy argued that the U.S. must do all it can to prevent the United Kingdom (U.K.) from ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius.

Key excerpts from the speech are below:

“America has a military base in the Chagos Islands. . . . One of the islands is called Diego Garcia, and we built a military base here. And it is not just any military base. It is an extraordinarily important military base. Our military base is one of the few in the world where our military can reload submarines—hugely important.”

. . .

“Now, why am I talking about this military base? Because President Biden and Vice President Harris . . . are giving away this military base. They're giving it away.”

. . .

“Why? I mean, no offense, but that’s cell-deep stupid. Why? Mauritius and the Chagos Islands don't have a relationship anymore, and we’ve got a military base here. I'll tell you why: The United Nations. . . . They have scolded the United Kingdom. They said the United Kingdom is a colonizer, and the people of the United Kingdom are bad people.

“Now, remember, this is coming from the United Nations. This is the same United Nations that has [had] the following countries on its Human Rights Council: Somalia, Iraq, Venezuela, China. That's who thinks we ought to get rid of this military base.”

. . .

“China says, ‘Fine. That sounds good to us.’ Why? Because, number one, China has already started currying favor with Mauritius. And, number two, Mauritius will now be in charge of the security of the Chagos Islands and our military base and the waters surrounding it. China—Xi Jinping—he's as happy as a gopher in soft dirt. He'll be hacking the Mauritius security as soon as the trade is made.

“This foreign policy crisis is being prosecuted right now . . . and it's going on all because of President Biden. All because President Biden and Vice President Harris want to appease the United Nations and China.”

Background

• On October 3, the U.K announced that it had reached a deal with Mauritius to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia. The transfer of the islands followed a years-long pressure campaign from the United Nations.

• The Biden administration reportedly pressured the United Kingdom to enter the deal with Mauritius before the American and Mauritian elections took place.

• On October 23, 2024, Kennedy sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken seeking answers about the Biden administration’s involvement in the deal between the U.K. and Mauritius.

• Kennedy also penned this op-ed in October arguing that the Biden administration owes the American people an explanation for its decision to allow this deal between the U.K. and Mauritius to move forward.

• Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), President-elect Trump’s nominee for National Security Advisor, recently said, “Should the U.K. cede control of the Chagos to Mauritius, I have no doubt that China will take advantage of the resulting vacuum.”

• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, similarly condemned the deal and said it “poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean and threatens critical U.S. military posture in the region.”

Watch Kennedy’s full remarks here.