Trump touts 'militaristic' policies, gets panned by general

[webfact]

Trump touts 'militaristic' policies, gets panned by general
By Tal Kopan and Eugene Scott, CNN

Washington (CNN)Donald Trump touted his foreign policy chops Wednesday, saying even as the "most militaristic" person in the world, he had the "vision" to oppose the war in Iraq.

"Unlike Jeb Bush, unlike the brother ... who you know got us into the whole war, I was totally opposed to the war," Trump told Jake Tapper on CNN's "The Lead" on Wednesday.

"I am the most militaristic person you will ever meet. However, you have to know when to go and when to use the military," he continued. "They used it at the wrong point, and I said there will be a total imbalance of the Middle East, Iran will take over Iraq, lots of bad people, like ISIS, will take over the oil, and that's exactly what happened."

Trump has been touting his 2004 opposition to the Iraq War in the Republican primary, including at the GOP debate last week.

Full story: http://us.cnn.com/2015/08/12/politics/donald-trump-most-militaristic-iraq-war/index.html


-- CNN 2015-08-13

[daoyai]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

[khwaibah]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

But he's is kicking ARSE..Leading in all polls.. Go Donald Go Donald Go Donald GO.

[alfalfa19]

He is amusing in his ass clown persona. But if he were president, he'd start a nuclear war within 30 days.

[lovelomsak]

He is amusing in his ass clown persona. But if he were president, he'd start a nuclear war within 30 days.

If he did he would win .

[MZurf]

He is amusing in his ass clown persona. But if he were president, he'd start a nuclear war within 30 days.

If he did he would win .

No, he would get fired fried along with everyone else.

[MZurf]

"I am the most militaristic person you will ever meet."

OK, a draft dodger claiming to be "militaristic"......

For a while I found him amusing (like your simpleton nephew that says whatever is on his mind at a prissy family reunion) but now he's just annoying. But I knew this was coming as he is now increasingly having to answer questions about his policy on different matters.

[xjbond]

Maybe the time has come for America to elect a corporate type as opposed to a political axx kisser.

For sure, The Donald will kick axx.

[Thakkar]

He opposed the war more than a year after it started, after it was clear beyond any doubt there were no WMD's and after it was clear the Iraqis did not "welcome America with open arms" and after it began to look like a quagmire and after it looked like the war would not pay for itself. Is the guy prescient, or what?

Trump/Palin 2016!

T

[empireboy]

He is amusing in his ass clown persona. But if he were president, he'd start a nuclear war within 30 days.

If he did he would win .

It sure slowed the Japanese down! They surrendered real quick!

[Seastallion]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

But he's is kicking ARSE..Leading in all polls.. Go Donald Go Donald Go Donald GO.

He's leading in the polls!!! I'd better put my brain in neutral and follow the crowd.

That's what being one of the sheeple is all about.

[Credo]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

But he's is kicking ARSE..Leading in all polls.. Go Donald Go Donald Go Donald GO.

He's leading in the polls!!! I'd better put my brain in neutral and follow the crowd.

That's what being one of the sheeple is all about.

There is no need to put the brain in neutral. You can turn it completely off

[Ulic]

Trump, what a beauty.

[EnglishJohn]

Every press report I read is trying to assassinate his campaign - and given my complete disgust at the bias and one-sided reporting in the World's press these days, it only draws me towards him.

The BBC are doing the same thing at Jeremy Corbyn and it is becoming more and more desperate. I don't care for labour one little bit, but it is showing the true nature of the BBC (who are supposed to be unbiased) quite clearly.

What people want in this world and what politicians/'establishments' want seem to be two completely different things.

[Publicus]

The general quoted later on in the OP is Gen Raymond Odierno, chief of staff of the US Army who had also been commander in Iraq at the height of the insurgency during the Bush presidency. Gen Odierno is effectively commanding general of the US Army who got the green light to take Trump down on this master of the universe bullshit that is now involving the US military.

Have no doubt Gen. Odierno speaks for other US military commanders of the armed forces globally. Trump's simple-minded off the cuff military notions are the reverse Midas touch and military commanders know it.

Trump's fast and loose talk is most unwelcome at the Pentagon, for sure.

[FritsSikkink]

He is amusing in his ass clown persona. But if he were president, he'd start a nuclear war within 30 days.

If he did he would win .

He would survive in his bunker and the rest of the world would be toast.

Great guy to have NOT

[eggers]

It seems strange for a country of 320M + population the best it can produce for the country's top leadership position, on one side, is a brash,'shoot from the hip', self centred billionaire & on the other, an ineffective fmr Sec of State, whose husband as a fmr President left office under a cloud...... but as the saying goes," You get the best money can buy!!!"

[Jingthing]

Bill Clinton didn't leave the presidency under a cloud.

But I am starting to take Hillary's potential legal issues more seriously and wish there was a strong replacement ready ... one who can actually win. (NOT Bernie Sanders.)

As far as Trump, well he is ridiculous and even more ridiculously there is some chance he can be nominated by the republicans and even win the presidency. But the republicans do have some credible well qualified people running, particularly KASICH.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Jingthing

[Thakkar]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

But he's is kicking ARSE..Leading in all polls.. Go Donald Go Donald Go Donald GO.

He's leading in the polls!!! I'd better put my brain in neutral and follow the crowd.

That's what being one of the sheeple is all about.

Actually, putting your brain in neutral only gets you to level One on the Fox Sheeple Scale. To get to Trump Support Level, you need to be on park, with the handbrake on, keys dropped in a drain, car in the moat, pants dropped to your knees, a ladyboy's mouth 'round your nob, and screaming "kill all The Gays!" While firing a gun in the air demanding every black/brown person's birth certificate.

Trump is so vile, even Sarah Palin is going, "why didn't I think of that?"

T

[billd766]

He is amusing in his ass clown persona. But if he were president, he'd start a nuclear war within 30 days.

If he did he would win .

And the rest of the world would lose, but that wouldn't worry him.

[HerbalEd]

He is amusing in his ass clown persona. But if he were president, he'd start a nuclear war within 30 days.

If he did he would win .

No one "wins" a nuclear war.

[Scott]

Troll post removed.

[thaibeachlovers]

The general quoted later on in the OP is Gen Raymond Odierno, chief of staff of the US Army who had also been commander in Iraq at the height of the insurgency during the Bush presidency. Gen Odierno is effectively commanding general of the US Army who got the green light to take Trump down on this master of the universe bullshit that is now involving the US military.

Have no doubt Gen. Odierno speaks for other US military commanders of the armed forces globally. Trump's simple-minded off the cuff military notions are the reverse Midas touch and military commanders know it.

Trump's fast and loose talk is most unwelcome at the Pentagon, for sure.

Yours is the first that actually addressed the OP. However from the article

Odierno said the U.S. must implement a sustainable plan that will ultimately be in the best interests of the region.

"We have to stop a long-term group that's potentially attempting to be a long-term influence in the Middle East, that is clearly promoting extremism and frankly suppressing the populations in the Middle East," he said. "In order to resolve that, you need the countries in the Middle East, and those surrounding the Middle East, to be involved in this solution."

So he doesn't actually have a clue! People that use vague generalisations like that do not have a solution. The US can't even sort the Israeli situation, so how do they think they can sort IS by talking. Perhaps by talking them to death.

Of course he doesn't like Trump, as if Trump is elected he will upset the apple cart and the military industrial complex wouldn't want that. Too much power and money at risk to accept change.

[thaibeachlovers]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

But he's is kicking ARSE..Leading in all polls.. Go Donald Go Donald Go Donald GO.

He's leading in the polls!!! I'd better put my brain in neutral and follow the crowd.

That's what being one of the sheeple is all about.

Actually, putting your brain in neutral only gets you to level One on the Fox Sheeple Scale. To get to Trump Support Level, you need to be on park, with the handbrake on, keys dropped in a drain, car in the moat, pants dropped to your knees, a ladyboy's mouth 'round your nob, and screaming "kill all The Gays!" While firing a gun in the air demanding every black/brown person's birth certificate.

Trump is so vile, even Sarah Palin is going, "why didn't I think of that?"

T

Why don't you tell us how you really feel about Trump?

[JDGRUEN]

I hardly think anything Trump said means he is ready to start a nuclear war... This is the tactic of the left -- immediately throw in outrageous hyperbole - exaggerate - embellish and fabricate. Trump should have used the word Hawkish - but he is not a politico and used a word he thought would say the same thing. In fact he is saying the opposite of what the lefties are saying here on TVF. Trump is saying he is hawkish in some circumstances but is strongly implying that jumping into the Iraq war was at the wrong time - wrong place.

Also while saying said in the interview that he would take steps to take the oil fields away from ISIS control and remove their funding... Trump is saying this with the best information he has available as a civilian done without an military intelligence briefing. The good General differs with Trump - but the General is operating with full intelligence briefings.

When Trump wins the Republican Primary he will be provided with intelligence briefings on nearly every critical situation around the world.

Keep things in context and on topic. Not one word in the article was about nuclear war...

Edited August 13, 2015 by JDGRUEN

[thaibeachlovers]

I keep waiting for someone to accuse Trump of being unsuitable for President as he has never served in the military, but they'd be on a hiding to nothing if they did so.

Obama, no

Bush, not really ( he joined the national guard air corps to avoid Vietnam )

Clinton, no. HRC no. The best she can do is to lie about being under fire. ( I know she hasn't been president yet ).

I think Bush senior was the last president to serve.

[khwaibah]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

But he's is kicking ARSE..Leading in all polls.. Go Donald Go Donald Go Donald GO.

He's leading in the polls!!! I'd better put my brain in neutral and follow the crowd.

That's what being one of the sheeple is all about.

Hear you go pick one of these.

[JLCrab]

From Wikipedia:

In June (1992), (H. Ross) Perot led the national public opinion polls with support from 39% of the voters (versus 31% for Bush and 25% for Clinton).

[Hayduke]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

Could be. But there are already more than a few stains out there. One more probably won't make that much of a difference.

[MZurf]

He was creepily amusing for awhile, now he is just a stain on american poitics.

But he's is kicking ARSE..Leading in all polls.. Go Donald Go Donald Go Donald GO.

He's leading in the polls!!! I'd better put my brain in neutral and follow the crowd.

That's what being one of the sheeple is all about.

Hear you go pick one of these.

Are you really suggesting that these two are going to scare people away from the home of the brave and land of the free after having a foreign, liberal, socialist, muslim, atheist, uppity black guy in the white house for 8 years???