Both GOP presidential front-runners lack a coherent strategy to keep the country safe, according to a report released Monday morning by the Heritage Action for America.
Donald Trump’s foreign policy strategy has included a lot of rhetoric about the need to more aggressively assert American power, but his lack of specifics and contradictions make it unclear how he would actually do so, the report says.
“Trump has suggested that he would project American strength abroad, but his unconventional foreign policy prescriptions raise more questions of significant consequence than they answer,” the report states.
In one example, Trump said it’s a mistake to defeat the Islamic State. Instead, he said he would let the terrorist group and the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad just fight each other, but he’s given no details about how America would keep a hand in the final outcome or prevent Russia from taking the lead in driving change.
The report lays out the priorities of a dozen Republican presidential candidates on issues including national security, economic growth, social issues and commitment to limited government.
The report also harsh critiqued Ben Carson’s strategy, or lack thereof, saying he “has not articulated a plan to defend America’s national security.” Carson, who is just behind Trump in many polls and has no political or foreign policy experience, has done little to show he has a “coherent foreign policy vision of his own.”
“His candidacy faces a heavy burden in demonstrating that he is ready to serve on day one as commander-in-chief,” the report said.
Carly Fiorina and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., got two of the more positive reviews in the report. Fiorina has “command of the issues and sound instincts” in her foreign policy plan, despite her lack of experiene, the report said. It also praised Rubio for his clarity on problems that will arise from re-establishing relations with Cuba and his specific plans to rebuild the “hollowed-out military,” but took issue with his prioritization of security over civil liberties concerns and his promise to undo sequestration without offsetting the additional spending.
One of the most divisive issues among the candidates is how they would handle the nuclear deal with Iran on their first day in office. Some have said they would keep the deal, others would evaluate it and police it stringently to ensure Iran holds it up its commitments, while others would do away with it on their first day at the White House.
Trump initially said that he would read the contract closely to aggressively enforce it, but has since said he would renegotiate the contract, though it’s unclear what terms he would seek to change in a new round of negotiations.
Many of the candidates have much in common, according to the Heritage Action report, including prioritizing building up the size of the military, increasing military spending and more aggressively countering foreign threats.
One of the biggest departures is from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who deviates “sharply” from the general Republican party in his national security plan, the report says. He has said some threats, including the Islamic State, do not need to be defeated but merely contained to count as a victory.
“The question for voters is whether President Rand Paul’s foreign policy would amount to an overcorrection of the foreign policy of the past and whether, when necessary, he truly would be committed to the use of American military might to confront foreign threats,” the report said.
The report also said Paul has repeatedly contradicted himself, suggesting he is either not committed to his plans or has not fully thought through the ramifications of his strategy.
