The first general election debate is scheduled for September 26, but NBC News is presenting the Commander-in-Chief Forum on Wednesday that’s something of a preview: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump participating in a back-to-back event on veterans issues and national security.
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Speaking at a televised national security forum, Clinton also defended her support for USA military intervention in Libya, despite the chaos that has consumed that country since then. Questions on national security and how the next commander-in-chief plans to prioritize America’s military have continued to crop up, and with November 8 looming, the public is hoping for more detailed plans from the POTUS contenders. Both candidates will sit down with Matt Lauer for in-depth interviews on topics ranging from national security to veteran affairs.
That issue and a proposal to enforce classification rules enabled Trump to again taunt Clinton over her use of private email while at the State Department and the subsequent FBI investigation. Lauer asked Trump if he would accept a compliment from Putin, and Trump said that he would take the compliment when Putin called him brilliant.
“I use force as a last resort, not as a first choice”, she said. “They will have 30 days to submit to the Oval Office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating ISIS”. “The people that arranged the trip in Mexico have been forced out of government, that’s how well we did”. He said that despite his maligned temperment, he emerged victorious from a crowded GOP primary stage.
When questioned about his confidence in current military leaders, he said: “I have great faith in the military”. According to Politifact, Trump only began to publicly opposing the war once it had began. Trump said that there would probably “be different generals” to advise him on ISIS policy. “Net-warfare” is the next wave Clinton sees coming in the fight against terror groups. “My decision to give President Bush that authority was, from my perspective, a mistake”. During the campaign, however, Trump has pointed to his opposition to the invasion as an example of his good judgment. “As Hillary Clinton has said, anyone you can bait this easily is not someone you can trust be Commander in Chief”, Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement.
The Democratic presidential nominee “is the only candidate that has the experience, temperament, critical thinking and level-headed leadership to keep America safe and our partnerships strong”, said Gen. Lloyd Newton.
The Democratic nominee is also assuring that she’ll do more to improve veterans’ healthcare.
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Clinton could also be vulnerable to Americans’ worries about terrorism – particularly the Islamic State’s designs on the West – and criticism that President Barack Obama hasn’t done enough to combat extremism emanating from the Middle East.
