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| Image: Flickr User - KAZ Vorpal |
Joe Gould
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump and friends have fired back at a group of GOP national security officials who signed a letter saying he would be “a dangerous President” and “unqualified” for the Oval Office.
The letter, made public Monday, was signed by 50 former senior officials and said the Republican presidential nominee “lacks the character, values, and experience to be President.” Among the signatories are former CIA and National Security Agency director Michael Hayden, former Director of National Intelligence and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, and former secretaries of homeland security, Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff.
While the signatories “have doubts” about Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, they will not vote for Trump, who they said “would be the most reckless President in American history.”
“In addition, Mr. Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he has little understanding of America’s vital national interests, its complex diplomatic challenges, its indispensable alliances, and the democratic values on which U.S. foreign policy must be based,” the letter reads. “At the same time, he persistently compliments our adversaries and threatens our allies and friends. Unlike previous Presidents who had limited experience in foreign affairs, Mr. Trump has shown no interest in educating himself.”
Democrats have attacked Trump’s suitability to be commander-in-chief, but his candidacy has also roiled the Republican Party. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Rep. Scott Ridgell, R-Va.; Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa.; and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., are among lawmakers who have said they cannot vote for Trump.
Fueling concerns about him, Trump has complimented Russian President Vladimir Putin, invited Russia to hack Clinton’s email server—remarks he later said were meant to be sarcastic—and said he would decide whether to defend NATO members from a Russian attack based on whether they contributed to the alliance. He has also suggested he would support pulling US troops out of Japan unless Tokyo picked up more of the tab for hosting US bases.
Late Monday, Trump, who is running as an outsider candidate, dismissed the signatories to the letter as “the failed Washington elite looking to hold onto their power.”
“They are the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess, and we thank them for coming forward so everyone in the country knows who deserves the blame for making the world such a dangerous place,” Trump said in a statement.
Read the full story at DefenseNews