MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-host Mike Barnicle asked Johnson on Thursday what he would do about Aleppo, a major city in Syria that’s been engulfed by the nation’s civil war and the refugee crisis.
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It was undeniably an embarrassing and disappointing moment for Johnson. Most real journalists would either mention the crisis or the country.
BARNICLE: “What would you do, if you were elected, about Aleppo?”.
Johnson expressed disappointment about the Aleppo lapse in a brief follow-up interview that was broadcast on MSNBC and canceled some of his other scheduled interviews that had been planned for later in the day.
The situation in Syria, especially Aleppo, is very delicate, growing in complexity as the rebels battle fiercely against the government forces, led by Bashar al-Assad.
“Ok. I got it”, Johnson said.
It certainly was an uncomfortable exchange to watch, filled with awkward pauses and obvious confusion. “I think he has pitched his campaign on setting group against group and trying to stir up negative passions, envy and even hatred”.
Johnson went on to say the United States should “join efforts with Russian Federation to end the conflict in Syria diplomatically” while adding that the conflict was the result of regime change gone badly. Should I have identified Aleppo? Yes.
But an abashed Johnson redeemed a bit of good will by admitting that he had goofed. The Republican Party’s presidential nominee is cozying up to a Russian strongman.
In fact, the hashtag #whatisaleppo was trending on Twitter.
The Libertarian ticket got a boost from Mitt Romney on Wednesday when he tweeted that Johnson, a former New Mexico governor, should make the debate stage with Clinton and Trump on September 26.
Johnson needs to reach 15 percent in an average of polls to gain a debate spot.
“So why isn’t Gary invited?” asks Johnson’s latest ad. He’s not the first governor to run for president to demonstrate weak foreign policy knowledge.
“And what is Aleppo?” asked Johnson, now the CEO of a cannabis company.
Johnson has been said to give the appearance of being a daily marijuana smoker, which is pretty much what he says he is.
Later Johnson (below) said the mistake showed he was human and that, when asked about Aleppo, he was thinking of an acronym and not the Syrian conflict.
Don’t worry, Gary, we got u…… The commentator correctly told him it’s the epicenter of the Syrian civil war. As The Atlantic pointed out, it’s the place where a highly-circulated image captured a bloodied 5-year-old Syrian boy who was injured in a strike. (Though still a significant error for a presidential nominee).
The paper also said it’s important Johnson be included in the presidential debates.
“And what is Aleppo?” he responded.
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– It’s Gary Johnson’s gaffe seen round the political world.
