Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine Hit Donald Trump on National Security
The Democratic presidential ticket needles Trump on national security
TAMPA, FL and WILMINGTON, NC — -- Although miles apart campaigning in different battleground states, Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, shared one mission on the trail today -- needling Donald Trump over national security.
Clinton, speaking at a voter registration rally in Tampa, Fla. this afternoon, criticized her opponent for his treatment towards veterans.
"His whole campaign has been one lone insult to all those who've worn the uniform to protect our most cherished American values," the Democratic presidential nominee said.
Clinton mentioned his criticism of Gold Star father Khizr Khan, which drew condemnation around the time of the Democratic Convention, exclaiming, "A man who is so wrong about our veterans isn't right to serve as our commander-in-chief."
Meanwhile, Kaine was in Wilmington, NC delivering what the campaign had billed as a major address on national security.
The Virginia senator attacked Trump as an “emotionally volatile” reality TV star whose foreign policy ideas are in “stark opposition” to American national security goals, but match “perfectly with Vladimir Putin’s wish list.”
Kaine also ticked through Trump’s controversies including his remarks about Sen. John McCain, the Khan family, his ties to Russia and his remarks about NATO.
"Donald Trump is unqualified and temperamentally unfit to serve as President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief,” Kaine said. "He has a bizarre fascination with strongmen and authoritarian leaders. And with respect to our allies he would toss our alliances aside, and says he wants to – quote – take everything back from the world that we’ve given them. Trump has offered nothing but empty promises and divisive rhetoric. Under his leadership, we would be unrecognizable to the rest of the world. And we would be far less safe.”
The Clinton campaign started today by releasing a new television ad going after Trump for what the campaign described as, his "continued disrespect" for veterans and military families."
The spot, titled "Sacrifice," features veterans and family members of military members who died watching Trump speak about national security. The military families watch Trump saying he knows "more than the generals do" and questioning whether McCain is a war hero.
The video ends with Trump's remarks to ABC News about what sacrifices he has made.
"I think I made a lot of sacrifices, built great structures. I've had tremendous success," Trump can be heard saying in the ad as a visual of a disabled veteran in a wheelchair is shown.
Today, Trump had a town hall on veterans issues and hit back at his Democratic rivals. Trump called Clinton a “disaster” and said that Russia’s Vladimir Putin “laughs at her.”
"Hillary likes to play tough with Russia. Putin looks at her and he laughs, okay? He laughs. Putin looks at Hillary Clinton and he smiles,” said Trump in Virginia Beach.
Trump, speaking to the American Legion earlier this month, described his foreign policy as one where America starts "facing the world with confidence again.”
"We are going to uphold the laws of the nation and defend our sovereignty and security and we are going to defend our border,” Trump said Sept. 1.
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