Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump predicted Wednesday night that there will be changes within the group of generals in the United States military, openly floating replacing some if he is elected in November.
When pressed by NBC’s Matt Lauer about his plan to defeat the Islamic State, about which Trump has been unapologetically vague, the candidate said that his strategy could consist of a mix of his plans and what the generals come back with after a 30-day window. In the past, Trump has discussed having a “secret plan” for how to defeat the Islamic State, but announced the decision to convene military leaders to come up with a plan in a speech earlier Wednesday in Philadelphia.
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“When I do come up with a plan that I like and that, perhaps, agrees with mine or maybe doesn’t. I may love what the generals come back with,” Trump told Lauer, who was hosting the Commander in Chief Forum.
“I have a plan, but I want to be — look, I have a very substantial chance of winning. Make America great again. We’re going to make America great again,” Trump continued. “I have a substantial chance of winning. If I win, I don’t want to broadcast to the enemy exactly what my plan is … If I like maybe a combination of mine and the generals plan or the generals plan. If I like their plan, Matt, I’m not going to call you up and say, ‘Matt, we have a great plan.’ This is what Obama does.”
Lauer then mentioned to Trump his past claim that he knows more than the generals about issues on the world stage. Trump then floated the possibility of replacing some generals he doesn’t agree with, saying there will be some different ones if he takes office.
“Well, there will probably be different generals, to be honest with you. I mean, I’m looking at the generals, you probably saw … 88 generals and admirals endorsed me today,” Trump said, with Lauer noting that 95 endorsed Clinton shortly after. “It’s not really numbers — people who have been losing for us for a long period of time. I mean, the fact is we have had the worst, and you could even say, the dumbest foreign policy. Our results have been so bad. We would have been better off if we never ever spent two dollars in that part of the world.”
The GOP nominee also panned the leadership of Clinton and President Obama, arguing that the generals have been “reduced to rubble” under their watch. He also added that he only has faith in particular military commanders.
“Well, the generals under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have not been successful,” Trump said. “Under the leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the generals have been reduced to rubble. They have been reduced to a point where it’s embarrassing for our country. You have a force of 30,000 or so people … and I can just see the great Gen. George Patton spinning in his grave as ISIS we can’t beat.”
“I have great faith in the military. I have great faith in certain of the commanders, but I have no faith in Hillary Clinton or the leadership,” Trump added.
