Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said Tuesday night at the Democratic debate that he would take the United States into war — as a “last resort.”
Sanders had said that “when he was a young man,” he “strongly opposed” the policy that got the United States into the Vietnam War.
He applied for the status of conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. Sanders’ application was later denied, but he was too old at that point to be drafted to serve.
Sanders said that he was not a “pacifist” and did support the war in Afghanistan and supports air strikes in Syria.
“Yes, I happen to believe from the bottom of my heart that war should be the last resort, that we have got to exercise diplomacy,” Sanders said. “But yes, I am prepared to take this country into war if that is necessary.”
Watch Sanders’ comment:
This post has been updated.