CALLED THE SECURING AMERICA’S ELECTIONS ACT THAT MANDATES
PAPER BALLOTS TO MAKE SURE THAT
EVERY SINGLE VOTER’S VOICE IS
HEARD.
HEARD. BUT I WANT TO GET BACK TO PETE
BUTTIGIEG AND HIS COMMENTS ABOUT
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. PETE, YOU’LL AGREE THAT THE
SERVICE THAT WE BOTH HAVE
PROVIDED TO OUR COUNTRY AS
VETERANS BY ITSELF DOES NOT
QUALIFY US TO SERVE AS COMMANDER
IN CHIEF.
IN CHIEF. I THINK THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE
OF YOUR INEXPERIENCE IN NATIONAL
SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY CAME
FROM YOUR RECENT CARELESS
STATEMENT ABOUT HOW YOU AS
PRESIDENT WOULD BE WILLING TO
SEND OUR TROOPS TO MEXICO TO
FIGHT THE CARTELS.
AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, LEADER OF
OUR ARMED FORCES, I BRING
EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE SERVING FOR
SEVEN YEARS IN CONGRESS, ON THE
FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, ON
THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, ON
THE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE,
MEETING WITH LEADERS OF
COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD,
WORKING WITH MILITARY COMMANDERS
OF DIFFERENT COMMANDS --
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU.
>> DEALING WITH HIGH-LEVEL
NATIONAL SECURITY BRIEFINGS.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S NECESSARY,
THE PREPARATION THAT I’VE GOTTEN
TO WALK IN ON DAY ONE TO SERVE
AS COMMANDER IN K450E6.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU.
MR. MAYOR, I’LL ALLOW YOU TO
RESPOND.
RESPOND. >> I KNOW THAT IT’S PAR FOR THE
COURSE IN WASHINGTON TO TAKE
REMARKS OUT OF CONTEXT, BUT THAT
IS OUTLANDISH EVEN BY THE
STANDARDS OF TODAY’S POLITICS.
>> ARE YOU SAYING YOU THAT
DIDN’T SAY THAT?
>> I WAS TALKING ABOUT
U.S.-MEXICO COOPERATION.
U.S.-MEXICO COOPERATION. WE’VE BEEN DOING SECURITY
COOPERATION WITH MEXICO FOR
YEARS, WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT
COOPERATION AND A MILITARY
RELATIONSHIP THAT COULD CONTINUE
TO BE DEVELOPED WITH TRAINING
RELATIONSHIPS, FOR EXAMPLE.
DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK ANYBODY
ON THIS STAGE IS PROPOSING
INVADING MEXICO?
INVADING MEXICO? >> THAT’S NOT WHAT I’M --
>> I’M TALKING ABOUT BUILDING UP
ALLIANCES.
ALLIANCES. AND IF YOUR QUESTION IS ABOUT
EXPERIENCE, LET’S ALSO TALK
ABOUT JUDGMENT.
ABOUT JUDGMENT. ONE OF THE FOREIGN LEADERS YOU
MENTIONED MEETING WAS BASHAR AL
ASSAD.
ASSAD. I HAVE IN MY EXPERIENCE SUCH AS
IT IS, WHETHER YOU THINK IT
COUNTS OR NOT SINCE IT WASN’T
ACCUMULATED IN WASHINGTON,
ENOUGH JUDGMENT THAT I WOULD NOT
HAVE SAT DOWN WITH A MURDEROUS
DICTATOR LIKE THAT.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN GABBARD, LET ME
ALLOW YOU TO RESPOND.
>> THANK YOU.
YOU WERE ASKED DIRECTLY WHETHER
YOU WOULD SEND OUR TROOPS TO
MEXICO TO FIGHT CARTELS AND YOUR
ANSWER WAS YES.
THE FACT CHECKERS CAN CHECK THIS
OUT.
OUT. BUT YOUR POINT ABOUT JUDGMENT IS
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF DOES NEED
TO HAVE GOOD JUDGMENT.
AND WHAT YOU’VE JUST POINTED OUT
IS THAT YOU WOULD LACK THE
COURAGE TO MEET WITH BOTH
ADVERSARIES AND FRIENDS, TO
ENSURE THAT PEACE AND NATIONAL
SECURITY OF OUR NATION.
I TAKE THE EXAMPLE OF THOSE
LEADERS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US,
LEADERS LIKE JFK WHO MET WITH
KHRUSHCHEV, LIKE ROOSEVELT WHO
MET WITH STALIN.
>> LIKE DONALD TRUMP WHO MET
WITH KIM.
WITH KIM. >> LIKE REAGAN WHO MET AND
WORKED WITH GORBACHEV.
THESE ISSUES OF NATIONAL
SECURITY ARE INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. I WILL MEET WITH AND DO WHAT IS
NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT NO
MORE OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS
IN UNIFORM ARE NEEDLESSLY SENT
INTO HARM’S WAY FIGHTING REGIME
CHANGE WARS THAT UNDERMINE OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. I’LL BRING REAL LEADERSHIP AND