50 GOP officials: Trump puts national security ‘at risk’

[mystery-ak]

August 08, 2016, 03:18 pm
50 GOP officials: Trump puts national security ‘at risk’

By Lisa Hagen

A group of 50 top Republican national security officials on Monday penned a letter warning that Donald Trump doesn’t have the experience to serve as president and would jeopardize the country’s safety, according to The New York Times.

The letter, signed by aides and Cabinet members of past GOP administrations including George W. Bush's and Richard Nixon's, declared that none of the officials will vote for the GOP nominee because they “are convinced that he would be a dangerous president and would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.

“Mr. Trump lacks the character, values, and experience to be President,” the letter says. “He weakens U.S. moral authority as the leader of the free world.”

“He appears to lack basic knowledge about the belief in the U.S. Constitution, U.S. laws, and U.S. institutions, including religious tolerance, freedom of the press, and an independent judiciary.”

The officials predict that Trump "would be the most reckless president in American history."

Some of the prominent officials include Michael Hayden, former director of both the CIA and National Security Agency; Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security for Bush and President Obama; John Negroponte, former director of national intelligence under Bush; Tom Ridge, former homeland security director under Bush as well as former governor of the battleground state of Pennsylvania; as well as others who have served as trade representatives, national security advisers and ambassadors.

The letter comes as some top Republicans have publicly declared that they won’t vote Trump this fall and will instead support Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Lezlee Westine, who served as the White House director of the office of public liaison and as a deputy assistant to George W. Bush, said she will back Clinton for president on Monday.

The New York Times points out that notably missing from the letter are former secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, George P. Shultz, James A. Baker III, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. Trump met with both Kissenger and Baker a few months ago.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/top-republican-gop-50-officials-warn-donald-trump-national-security-risk-dangerous

[mystery-ak]

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/08/us/politics/national-security-letter-trump.html

the letter

[Bigun]

Needless to say  but I agree with them entirely on every single point!

[Victoria33]

@mystery-ak

I agree with the national security professionals - been saying that for months.  Trump is insane.

[mystery-ak]

http://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-responds-to-50-gop-natsec-experts-denouncing-him-theyre-why-the-world-is-a-mess/

Trump Responds to 50 GOP NatSec Experts Denouncing Him: They’re Why ‘The World Is a Mess’
by Josh Feldman | 6:30 pm, August 8th, 2016

Donald Trump is firing back at the 50 Republican national security experts who wrote in a joint letter that not only is Trump not knowledgable about the world and the Constitution, but “he would be the most reckless President in American history.”

The list of signatories includes former CIA/NSA chief Michael Hayden and the two men who served as Homeland Security Secretary under George W. Bush––Michael Chertoff and Tom Ridge.

In response, Trump says in a statement tonight, “The names on this letter are the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess.”

He calls them part of the failed elite who need to be told “their gravy train is over.”

You can read the full statement below:

[mystery-ak]

Good reply by Trump

[Idaho_Cowboy]

And there goes Trump sticking up for his buddy Sadam again.

[sinkspur]

stuart stevens ‏@stuartpstevens  25m25 minutes ago
stuart stevens Retweeted Sabrina Siddiqui

When these nat security experts were protecting America, Trump was using alias to lie about women he couldn't date.

[Restored]

Ummm....Hillary?

[TomSea]

http://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-responds-to-50-gop-natsec-experts-denouncing-him-theyre-why-the-world-is-a-mess/

Trump Responds to 50 GOP NatSec Experts Denouncing Him: They’re Why ‘The World Is a Mess’
by Josh Feldman | 6:30 pm, August 8th, 2016

Donald Trump is firing back at the 50 Republican national security experts who wrote in a joint letter that not only is Trump not knowledgable about the world and the Constitution, but “he would be the most reckless President in American history.”

The list of signatories includes former CIA/NSA chief Michael Hayden and the two men who served as Homeland Security Secretary under George W. Bush––Michael Chertoff and Tom Ridge.

In response, Trump says in a statement tonight, “The names on this letter are the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess.”

He calls them part of the failed elite who need to be told “their gravy train is over.”

You can read the full statement below:

Giuliani was just saying this on Fox, that these were establishment types.

[mystery-ak]

I don't think so.  Did he actually hear anything they wrote?  No.  He is defensive.  He deserves credit for not stooping to labeling, slander and insults -- yet.  However, he calls them failures for no reason at all other than to boost himself.  They've been there and done the work.  He just brags and makes impossible promises like that crime will end when he is president, etc.

I was mainly referring to the first paragraph of Trump's response...

[sinkspur]

Giuliani was just saying this on Fox, that these were establishment types.

I wish you Trumpkins would drop this "establishment" bullshit.  Trump, by linking up with Rudy, with Chris Christie, with his "economic advisors" (all donors of his), by pulling in Pence,  IS the establishment.

So stop with that crap.  It's meaningless, given who Trump is now in league with.

[libertybele]

Good reply by Trump

I agree; especially considering that some of the signers are aides and cabinet members of the Nixon administration. I find it interesting that the letter was not signed by either Powell or Rice.

[Polly Ticks]

Good reply by Trump

I think you meant 'good reply from Trump's team'.  If he wrote that himself, I'll eat my hat.

[R4 TrumPence]

I wish you Trumpkins would drop this "establishment" bullshit.  Trump, by linking up with Rudy, with Chris Christie, with his "economic advisors" (all donors of his), by pulling in Pence,  IS the establishment.

So stop with that crap.  It's meaningless, given who Trump is now in league with.

I did not know Rudy and Chris were Washington Elite, aka Establishment

[R4 TrumPence]

I agree; especially considering that some of the signers are aides and cabinet members of the Nixon administration. I find it interesting that the letter was not signed by either Powell or Rice.

The "A" team has more Patriotism and dignity than the "C and D" teams

[libertybele]

I was mainly referring to the first paragraph of Trump's response...

Exactly.  They were in 'charge' at the time.. the signers should bear some responsibility of the mess that we are in.

Secondly, we have 535 members of Congress of whom most have absolutely FAILED to reign in Hussein and at the time Secy' of State Clinton and hold them responsible.

Here we sit once again.  Pointing fingers, laying blame ... and doing nothing.  Hasn't this been the charade for decades?

I am definitely not a Trump supporter and I think the end result will be no different than if Hillary is president. HOWEVER, those that could have stopped Trump and those who objected to Trump should have came forward long ago instead of at the eleventh hour. They had a conservative who they could have bolstered to the presidency; instead they chose not to.

[Longmire]

Good reply by Trump

Right on the nose!

[sinkspur]

I did not know Rudy and Chris were Washington Elite, aka Establishment

So, you Trumpkins have now narrowed "establishment" to mean just people in Washington.

Would Rudy be "establishment" if you knew his Guiliani partners signed a contract with Qatar to provide security for its oil infrastructure?

You know, little Qatar that is providing sanctuary to Abu-Bakar al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS? 

And what about Christie who was a US Attorney, and who is still thoroughly pissed off about not being Trump's VP?  He's not "establishment.

Trump IS the establishment, now.  I notice your confreres use that term less and less often because they seem to know something you don't.

[sinkspur]

The "A" team has more Patriotism and dignity than the "C and D" teams

You think Colin Powell and Condi Rice are voting for Trump?  They're just holding their fire until it means something in September or October.

[NavyCanDo]

I think you meant 'good reply from Trump's team'.  If he wrote that himself, I'll eat my hat.

Exactly what I was thinking. We know him enough by now to reconize how he speaks and writes. This isnt him.

[Longmire]

You think Colin Powell and Condi Rice are voting for Trump?  They're just holding their fire until it means something in September or October.

Powell has already come out to defend/deflect/distract about H. Clinton's use of a private email server, but who really cares what old 'yellow cake' Colin has to say about anything since he got into bed with Obama?

Trump's campaign is about the future not the past.

[libertybele]

Powell has already come out to defend/deflect/distract about H. Clinton's use of a private email server, but who really cares what old 'yellow cake' Colin has to say about anything since he got into bed with Obama?

Trump's campaign is about the future not the past.

His 'campaign' may be about the future, but his liberal past, his bombastic comments, his narcissistic personality and lack of knowledge on the issues gives him absolutely no credibility.

[Fantom]

You think Colin Powell and Condi Rice are voting for Trump?  They're just holding their fire until it means something in September or October.

Nope they are voting obama.

To hell with that racist traitor powell. He chose color over America.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/colin-powell-endorses-barack-obama-for-president/

[sinkspur]

Nope they are voting obama.

To hell with that racist traitor powell. He chose color over America.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/colin-powell-endorses-barack-obama-for-president/

Obama's not running.