Gary Johnson Flubs Syria Question on ‘Morning Joe,’ Gives Reason Why on ‘The View’
Libertarian presidential nominee, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, is having a bad Thursday Sept. 8. During his interview on the MSNBC show Morning Joe, panelist Mike Barnicle and Johnson had the following exchange:
Barnicle: What would you do if you were elected about Aleppo?
Johnson: About?
Barnicle: Aleppo.
Johnson: And what is Aleppo?
Barnicle: You’re kidding.
Johnson: No.
Johnson was then refreshed about Aleppo. In case you’re uncertain yourself, it was Syria’s most populous city before the civil war began in 2011. Aleppo is now home to many different fighting factions that have all but destroyed the city and the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people who have had to flee or who are still living there. The U.S. has been involved with aid to the rebel army and has taken a stand against Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been accused of war crimes.
Johnson was grilled further about Aleppo by host Joe Scarborough. “Do you really think that foreign policy is so insignificant that somebody who is running for president of the United States [doesn’t] know what Aleppo is, where Aleppo is and why it is so important?” asked the host. “I do understand Aleppo, and I understand the crisis that is going on,” Johnson replied.
Johnson made a point of critiquing the U.S. involvement and said the U.S. needs to partner with Russia to find a diplomatic solution. He also criticized the Democratic and Republican parties past support of regime change.
Johnson’s media day was not over. Already scheduled to be on The View, he had to offer a reason for his gaffe, blaming no one but himself. “No excuse,” he told the panel. “I was thinking in terms of acronym. Aleppo. That’s no excuse, whatsoever.” When asked if it was a fair question, he said, “It’s fair game. I’m running for president of the United States, and everything is fair game. Hey, it’s how you deal with adversity that ultimately determines success. That’s all of our lives.”
Later, the Johnson campaign would put out a statement:
This morning, I began my day by setting aside any doubt that I’m human. Yes, I understand the dynamics of the Syrian conflict — I talk about them every day. But hit with “What about Aleppo?,” I immediately was thinking about an acronym, not the Syrian conflict. I blanked. It happens, and it will happen again during the course of this campaign. Can I name every city in Syria? No. Should I have identified Aleppo? Yes. Do I understand its significance? Yes. As Governor, there were many things I didn’t know off the top of my head. But I succeeded by surrounding myself with the right people, getting to the bottom of important issues, and making principled decisions. It worked. That is what a President must do.
Johnson’s already been praised for his handling of this situation, but some were less forgiving. View co-host Joy Behar told him, “I think it’s a disqualifying statement, frankly.” “Fair enough,” replied Johnson. “Fair enough.”
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