Weld said he and Libertarian presidential hopeful Gary Johnson will be “matter of fact” with “predictions of doom about the economy” on Clinton, but was direct when asked which potential administration scares him most.
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“And what is Aleppo?”.
Asked about being a possible Ralph Nader-like spoiler, Johnson said, “Well, I genuinely believe that I have the opportunity to win at this point”.
“You’re kidding?” asked MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle. Barnicle then began to explain.
Johnson and Weld describe themselves as fiscally conservative, but say they appeal to young voters due to their views on social issues like same-sex marriage, abortion rights, gun rights and legalizing drugs like marijuana.
“OK, got it”, Johnson said, going on to provide a general answer about the Syrian conflict, where he said the only viable option “is to join hands with Russian Federation to diplomatically” resolve the conflict.
The embarrassing exchange followed a forum on Wednesday night in which Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump tried to showcase their national security and defense credentials.
On Twitter the question “What is Aleppo?” was trending, with many critics arguing that Johnson had disqualified himself from the presidency. And how could those looking to a third party for an alternative be left with the equally clueless Johnson? It signaled a weakness for Johnson on foreign policy and underscored the perceived novelty of his campaign.
Some leading Republicans who oppose Trump have said openly that they are giving the Libertarian ticket a serious look.
“I think people understand that you can forget a detail, so, no, I don’t think it has any impact on the debates except perhaps to increase our name recognition”, Weld said.
On the question about the best way to deal with terrorist threats in the United States, Weld – a former U.S. Attorney for MA – said he would create a 1,000 member Federal Bureau of Investigation task force dedicated to tracking lone wolf killers. When asked if it was a fair question, he said, “It’s fair game”.
While the Libertarian Party has long rejected US military intervention overseas, the candidate’s failure to recognize one of the most troubled spots in the Middle East drew ridicule and prompted speculation that his campaign was essentially over.
“This morning, I began my day by setting aside any doubt that I’m human”, the Libertarian candidate said in a statement.
“Can I name every city in Syria?”
Mr. Johnson answered: “Well, no, I do understand Aleppo, and I understand the crisis that is going on”.
“I think there are probably some libertarians who don’t understand the history of the Libertarian Party or, you know, are basically functionally useful idiots for billionaires like the Koch brothers”.
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“In terms of Gary forgetting the word, I don’t know”.
