"National security risk - unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood"

Public denunciations of Donald Trump are becoming more frequent as we get closer to Election Day. Another open letter against Trump has been released, this time from 50 top Republicans warning that Trump is a risk to national security.

Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell may not be ready to revoke their endorsements of Trump, but many other Republicans are, including: Lezlee Westine, former aide to G.W. Bush, Doug Elmets a former Reagan official, and Reagan’s former Political Director Frank Lavin.

    • Signatories include a former director of the NSA and CIA General Michael Hayden, ex-Homeland Security secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, and top advisors to the White House, State, and Justice Departments.
    • Many worked in George W. Bush’s administration.
    • President Obama recently called Trump “unfit to serve.” The group of foreign policy elites echoed this sentiment, saying decisively that he “would be the most reckless president in American history.”
    • Some of the signatories had refused to sign a similar letter back in March, but are now being uncharacteristically bold.
    • While refraining from direct comment on Trump’s mental health, the letter says that he is “unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood.”
    • The letter says that while none of the signatories will vote for Donald Trump, they acknowledge that many Americans “have doubts about Hillary Clinton, as do many of us.”
    • They also say, “Donald Trump is not the answer to America’s daunting challenges and to this crucial election.”




Trump’s Response

Trump responded later in the day with a statement. He said the signatories were “the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess,” and that, “they are nothing more than the failed Washington elite looking to hold onto their power, and it’s time they are held accountable for their actions.”
He was implied that the signatories were responsible for the invasion of Iraq, and the following emergence of ISIS. He went on to say that his vision is, in contrast, one that “stands up to foreign dictators instead of taking money from them, seeks peace over war, rebuilds our military and makes other countries pay their fair share for their protection.”

Read the full letter and list of signatories below:

 

STATEMENT BY FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICIALS

The undersigned individuals have all served in senior national security and/or foreign policy positions in Republican Administrations, from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush. We have worked directly on national security issues with these Republican Presidents and/or their principal advisers during wartime and other periods of crisis, through successes and failures. We know the personal qualities required of a President of the United States.

None of us will vote for Donald Trump.

From a foreign policy perspective, Donald Trump is not qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief. Indeed, we are convinced that he would be a dangerous President and would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.

Most fundamentally, Mr. Trump lacks the character, values, and experience to be President. He weakens U.S. moral authority as the leader of the free world. He appears to lack basic knowledge about and belief in the U.S. Constitution, U.S. laws, and U.S. institutions, including religious tolerance, freedom of the press, and an independent judiciary.




In addition, Mr. Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he has little understanding of America’s vital national interests, its complex diplomatic challenges, its indispensable alliances, and the democratic values on which U.S. foreign policy must be based. At the same time, he persistently compliments our adversaries and threatens our allies and friends. Unlike previous Presidents who had limited experience in foreign affairs, Mr. Trump has shown no interest in educating himself. He continues to display an alarming ignorance of basic facts of contemporary international politics. Despite his lack of knowledge, Mr. Trump claims that he understands foreign affairs and “knows more about ISIS than the generals do.”

 

Mr. Trump lacks the temperament to be President. In our experience, a President must be willing to listen to his advisers and department heads; must encourage consideration of conflicting views; and must acknowledge errors and learn from them. A President must be disciplined, control emotions, and act only after reflection and careful deliberation. A President must maintain cordial relationships with leaders of countries of different backgrounds and must have their respect and trust.

In our judgment, Mr. Trump has none of these critical qualities. He is unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood. He does not encourage conflicting views. He lacks self-control and acts impetuously. He cannot tolerate personal criticism. He has alarmed our closest allies with his erratic behavior. All of these are dangerous qualities in an individual who aspires to be President and Commander-in-Chief, with command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

We understand that many Americans are profoundly frustrated with the federal government and its inability to solve pressing domestic and international problems. We also know that many have doubts about Hillary Clinton, as do many of us. But Donald Trump is not the answer to America’s daunting challenges and to this crucial election. We are convinced that in the Oval Office, he would be the most reckless President in American history.




Donald B. Ayer

Former Deputy Attorney General

John B. Bellinger III

Former Legal Adviser to the Department of State; former Legal Adviser to the National Security Council, The White House

Robert Blackwill

Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Planning, The White House

Michael Chertoff

Former Secretary of Homeland Security; former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Department of Justice

Eliot A. Cohen

Former Counselor of the Department of State

Eric Edelman

Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; former National Security Advisor to the Vice President, The White House




Gary Edson

Former Deputy National Security Advisor, The White House

Richard Falkenrath

Former Deputy Homeland Security Advisor, The White House

Peter Feaver

Former Senior Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council, The White House

Richard Fontaine

Former Associate Director for Near East Affairs, National Security Council, The White House

Jendayi Frazer

Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs; former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

Aaron Friedberg

Former Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President, The White House

David Gordon

Former Director of Policy Planning, Department of State

Michael Green

Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia, National Security Council, The White House

Brian Gunderson

Former Chief of Staff, Department of State

Paul Haenle

Former Director for China and Taiwan, National Security Council, The White House

Michael Hayden

Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency; former Director, National Security Agency

Carla A. Hills

Former U.S. Trade Representative

John Hillen

Former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs

William Inboden

Former Senior Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council, The White House

Reuben Jeffery III

Former Under Secretary of State for Economic Energy and Agricultural Affairs; former Special Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, National Security Council, The White House

James Jeffrey

Former Deputy National Security Advisor, The White House

Ted Kassinger

Former Deputy Secretary of Commerce

David Kramer

Former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

James Langdon

Former Chairman, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, The White House

Peter Lichtenbaum

Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration

Mary Beth Long

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

Clay Lowery

Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; former Director for International Finance, National Security Council, The White House

Robert McCallum

Former Associate Attorney General; former Ambassador to Australia

Richard Miles

Former Director for North America, National Security Council, The White House

Andrew Natsios

Former Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development

John Negroponte

Former Director of National Intelligence; former Deputy Secretary of State; former Deputy National Security Advisor

Meghan O’Sullivan

Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan

Dan Price

Former Deputy National Security Advisor

Tom Ridge

Former Secretary of Homeland Security; former Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, The White House; former Governor of Pennsylvania

Nicholas Rostow

Former Legal Adviser to the National Security Council, The White House

Kori Schake

Former Director for Defense Strategy, National Security Council, The White House

Kristen Silverberg

Former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations

Stephen Slick

Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, National Security Council, The White House

Shirin R. Tahir-Kheli

Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations, National Security Council, The White House; former Ambassador and Senior Advisor for Women’s Empowerment, Department of State

William H. Taft IV

Former Deputy Secretary of Defense; former Ambassador to NATO

Larry D. Thompson

Former Deputy Attorney General

William Tobey

Former Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy; former Director for Counter- Proliferation Strategy, National Security Council, The White House

John Veroneau

Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Kenneth Wainstein

Former Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, The White House; former Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Department of Justice

Matthew Waxman

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; former Director for Contingency Planning and International Justice, National Security Council, The White House

Dov Zakheim

Former Under Secretary of Defense

Roger Zakheim

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

Philip Zelikow

Former Counselor of the Department of State

Robert Zoellick

Former U.S. Trade Representative; former Deputy Secretary of State




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