October 3, 2016 | No Comments
Hillary Clinton’s pledge not to deploy U.S. combat troops to fight Islamic State militants in the Middle East makes her “a fool,” Donald Trump said Monday morning, because “she’s empowered the enemy.”
During a question-and-answer session with military veterans in Herndon, Virginia, Trump was asked what his strategy would be to combat the militant group. As he has done in the past, the GOP nominee refused to outline his plan, instead lamenting that President Barack Obama and current military leadership have abandoned the element of surprise as an advantage.
He said Clinton’s pledge not to escalate the fight against the Islamic State with American combat troops is rooted in politics, not military strategy.
“When Hillary Clinton says no boots on the ground, now, whether you want boots on the ground or not, you shouldn’t say it,” Trump said. “She said there will be no boots on the ground. She was very strong, because politics, you know, it sounds a little bit better to say no boots on the ground.”
Even worse, Trump said, Clinton’s declared strategy has aided the Islamic State by offering them a glimpse of what American military policy would be should she win the White House next November.
“By doing that she’s empowered the enemy. She’s empowered enemy. And I think she possibly means it. I’m not sure if she means it or not. But she says no boots on the ground. She has taken a tremendous, I mean that is really giving strength to the enemy. And even if she felt that, she should never admit that. She should never admit that. You have to leave your options open. And if you don’t leave your options open, you’re a fool. And I hated to hear her say that.”