According to lifelong Republican and ex-CIA director/former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the current GOP presidential hopefuls have the kind of understanding of national security issues which “would embarrass a middle schooler.”
Gates first joined the White House under Richard Nixon, and was the only defense secretary in American history to be asked to remain in office by a newly elected President. As evidenced by his joke that if Donald Trump becomes president, he will emigrate to Canada, Gates is amongst a large segment of elder conservatives who are concerned by the apparent popularity of over-the-top maverick candidates over establishment favorites.
At a POLITICO Playbook event in Washington on Monday, Gates said:
“The level of dialogue on national security issues would embarrass a middle schooler. People are out there making threats and promises that are totally unrealistic, totally unattainable. Either they really believe what they’re saying or they’re cynical and opportunistic and, in a way, you hope it’s the latter because God forbid they actually believe some of the things that they’re saying.”
Rather than communicating to the American people that certain issues are complex and difficult, Gates says that both Democratic and Republican candidates are making outlandish claims which are not being challenged by the media.
“A lot of people in both parties are making huge promises and commitments. In some cases the things they’re saying they’re going to do are unconstitutional or merely against the law and others are, from a budgetary standpoint, inconceivable, and so it seems to be that the press has not hammered hard enough and been relentless in saying, ‘How the hell are you going to do that?’”
Watch Gates on MSNBC, via Crook sand Liars:
Featured image via screen grab
Leave a Reply