Pretty much, he's just saying the quiet part out loud. Any lib with an inkling of historical knowledge (even of the cold war), or with an inkling of geopolitics combined with some meager understanding of the real workings of the modern economy/supply chains (granted, far less common than it should be), or who keeps up with news and doesn't have the memory of a beanis understands exactly how their bread is buttered even if they won't admit it to themselves or others.