Last night’s raucous Democratic presidential debate had an element of the dog that didn’t bark, in terms of defense issues. The debate was devoid of any mention of the top national security issues facing the nation. Here are some of the words that didn’t pass the lips of any of the candidates:
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- Iran
- North Korea
- ISIS
- Syria
- Military
- Defense spending
- Terrorism (except a reference to Mexican cartels)
- NATO
- Nuclear weapons
The closest the six Democratic candidates (Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg, and Joe Biden) came to discussing foreign policy was when they briefly mentioned the 2015 Paris Agreement that the United States withdrew from in 2017.
Russia got one mention when Sanders cited Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the discussion about China centered on climate change, not the growing military threat from Beijing.
Jamie McIntyre is the Washington Examiner’s senior writer on defense and national security. His morning newsletter, “Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense,” is free and available by email subscription at dailyondefense.com.
