On the front page of the Taipei Times, we learn that Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson has “dismissed speculation that Trump is using arms sales as a negotiating tactic with Beijing amid concern over delayed deliveries.” Such a dismissal is what the Taiwanese would like to hear, if only they could believe it (Taipei Times/CNA, September 30, 2026).
Taiwan is a partner whose “stability and independence” are important to US national security and the economy, US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday when asked about arms sales to Taipei in an interview with Fox Business.
Asked whether US President Donald Trump was using a long-delayed US$14 billion arms deal as a negotiating tactic for trade with Beijing, Johnson said that he “wouldn’t read too much into that.”
The delayed arms package is “related to the Iran conflict” and the need for missile stocks in the Middle East, he said.
“If you look over [Trump’s] two terms, he will have completed, I think, US$40 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, which is about twice what [former US] president [Barack] Obama did,” Johnson said, adding that he did not think anyone can question the US’ resolve.
“We understand that Taiwan is a very important partner, friend and ally of ours, and we need them to be stable and independent” for national security purposes and the economy, he said.
Xi on Thursday last week told Trump that he hoped the US would adhere to the “correct position” of opposing Taiwanese independence, a Chinese readout of the talks said.
Johnson in May affirmed there would be no reduction in US support for Taiwan or arms sales to the nation.
There has indeed been a reduction in U.S. support for the all-but-finally-approved $14 billion arms sale to the Republic of China. It’s been moved from the almost-done column to the in-limbo column.
Note the peculiarities of Johnson’s non-denial denial, like his statement that we shouldn’t “read too much into” the apparently justified conclusion that Trump is “using a long-delayed US$14 billion arms deal as a negotiating tactic for trade with Beijing.” Not exactly the equivalent of “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard!” Same with “he did not think anyone can question” the resolve of the United States. He’s being asked the questions because people are questioning the resolve, when it comes to Taiwan, of the U.S. president. If invariably right-thinking and steadfast abstractions like “United States” ran U.S. policy, and not particular people, things would be different.
Like so many others, Johnson seems to be resorting to the theory of If We Don’t Admit It, It’s Not Happening.
Up to China
The Associated Press reported in May 2026 that when asked whether he would approve the $14 package to Taiwan “that has been held up for months, Trump said that’s up to China. ‘I’m holding that in abeyance and it depends on China. It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons.’ ” This statement is plain, unadorned, unequivocal. It’s not a speculation about what Trump may be motivated by. It’s a direct quotation of Trump. The president has done nothing to contradict his report of his motivation in the months since. So what are Johnson and the rest babbling about?
Reuters said a little later in May: “U.S. arms sales to Taiwan take years to process and are unrelated to the war with Iran, a source familiar with the matter said, after a senior U.S. official suggested there was a pause due to the need to have enough arms for the conflict….
“ ‘These sales take years to process and are unrelated to Operation Epic Fury,’ the source said, referring to the war the U.S. and Israel launched in February. ‘The United States Military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump’s strategic goals and beyond.’ ”
The these-things-take-years-to-process explanation doesn’t make much sense either. It’s not as if final approval from the White House had come but now just so much dang time was being chewed up because of the need for processing, months and months, years. Trump himself was and is holding things up, and everybody knows this.
Why does the White House not allow this sale to proceed? If the problem is the U.S. need of weapons for the war in Iran, what was the thing about “negotiating chip” all about? And why would the entirety of the $14 billion in arms for the Republic of China be stalled because of the war in Iran?
Is there a Trump ally in Congress or a member of Trump’s cabinet who does not want the $14 billion sale of arms to the Republic of China to be completed at last? When asked whether the U.S. is supportive of Taiwan, and also when not asked, they often say that the U.S. is supportive. Many in the U.S. government are supportive. Just not the U.S. president, lately.
