https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3007589/Nationalsecurityletter.pdf

StatementofFormerNationalSecurityOfficials.docx
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 q
ualities 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 danger
ous 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 t
o 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
u
nderstanding 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 thr
eatens 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 pol
itics.
Despite his lack of knowledge, Mr.
Trump claims that he understands foreign affairs and “knows more
about ISIS than the generals do.”
StatementofFormerNationalSecurityOfficials.docx
Mr. Trump lacks the temperament to be President.
In our experience, a
President must be willing to listen to hi
s 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 mu
st 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
StatementofFormerNationalSecurityOfficials.docx
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 Ed
elman
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, Th
e 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
StatementofFormerNationalSecurityOfficials.docx
Aaron Friedberg
Former Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President
, The
White House
David Gordon
Former Directo
r 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 Dire
ctor 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 Politic
al
-
Military Affairs
William Inboden
Former Senior Director for Strategic Planning, National Security
Council, The White House
StatementofFormerNationalSecurityOfficials.docx
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 Krame
r
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 Administratio
n
Mary Beth Long
Former
Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Intern
ational Security Affairs
Clay Lowery
Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs;
former Director for International Finance, National Security Council,
The White Ho
use
Robert McCallum
Former Associate Attorney General; former Ambassador to Australia
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