Bob Gates Criticizes Trump’s Foreign Policy: ‘There Are Some Contradictions’

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at Old National Events Plaza, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Evansville, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates criticized presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s foreign policy on Sunday, and said he has some “real issues” with some of Trump’s plans and questioned the businessman’s ability to consider feedback about his policy.

“Well, I have some real issues with things he’s said about national security policy and some concerns. I think there are some contradictions,” Gates said, pointing to Trump’s policy on China and North Korea.

Gates also said he was concerned about Trump’s “admiration” toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. He noted that politicians’ policies sometimes change, but that he questioned Trump’s ability to consider feedback.

“I guess one of the things that makes it challenging for me is that he seems to think that he has all the answers and that he doesn’t need any advice from staff or anybody else,” Gates said. “And that he knows more about these things than anybody else. And doesn’t really feel the need to surround himself with informed advisors.”

Gates had previously weighed in on the 2016 election, saying that the rhetoric out of the Republican contenders would “embarrass a middle schooler.”

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  1. The primary problem with Trump is when one is constantly proving he knows everything he doesn’t dare learn anything.

  2. “Well, I have some real issues with things he’s said about national security policy and some concerns. I think there are some contradictions,” Gates said, pointing to Trump’s policy on China and North Korea.

    only some?

  3. Far more frightening are those who honestly believe this con man is fit to be President of the United States.

  4. The man is a politician. Everything said in a public statement will have a caveat(s).

  5. [quote=“epicurus, post:4, topic:37604”]
    Far more frightening are those who honestly believe this con man is fit to be President of the United States.

    That is everything in this struggle.

    • The RNC devised too many “winner-take-all” primaries
    • Trump got $2 billion in free ad time
    • Trump got MSM butterknife questions by stenographers
    • The Republicans are coalescing around Trump

    All four of the above are social structures and collections of people who have been thought to be sane and reasonable people capable of functioning in society. Friends, neighbors, relatives, workmates.

    If the United States allows this sociopath to become President, it will have lost whatever high ground it had in talking about other countries’ dictators, totalitarians, facsists and tyrants. For hundreds of millions of people around the world who know very little about the people, trends, customs and predilections of Americans this will be a year of a good deal of fear.

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