(ECNS) -- Dennis Wilder, a U.S. international relations scholar and former CIA and National Security Council official, has sharply criticized right-wing Republican figures who attacked former Cabinet member Elaine Chao over a visit to a Shanghai kindergarten.
Some right-wing figures have criticized Chao and her husband, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, over her June visit to a kindergarten in Shanghai, accusing her of having close ties to China.
Chao served as U.S. Secretary of Labor in the administration of George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 and as U.S. Secretary of Transportation in the first administration of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021.
On June 14, she attended an event at a kindergarten in Malu township, Jiading district, Shanghai, showcasing the school's achievements and celebrating the graduation of its senior kindergarten class of 2026.
According to information previously released by local authorities, the kindergarten was renovated in 1994 with a $100,000 donation from Chao's father, James S.C. Chao. The school was later renamed after his father, Zhao Yiren.
The visit has since become a target of political attacks against Chao and her husband McConnell.
Tensions between McConnell and the Republican Party's right-wing populist wing have grown in recent years. Some figures in the faction have sought to blame Chao for McConnell's clashes with them, making unsubstantiated allegations that she has ties to Beijing and acts on China's instructions to influence her husband.
The Daily Caller, a conservative media outlet aligned with the party's right wing, went further in a recent article targeting Chao.
It claimed the kindergarten had military connections and suggested it served as a meeting place for Chao and Chinese officials. The article pointed to children's performances featuring themes related to the spirit of the Long March and dances in camouflage clothing as evidence.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Wilder said he was "petrified," mocking the outlet's portrayal of the children's activities as a security concern.
"Combat training for children in diapers. Please stop. You are embarrassing yourself," he said.
In a separate post, Wilder ridiculed the outlet's claims, writing: "Good God! Supporting a kindergarten in Shanghai is now considered treasonous? Those 3-year-olds look extremely dangerous to me! The Daily Caller is really reaching on this one."
（By Zhang Dongfang）
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