Hillary Clinton was welcomed with what is described as “polite applause” at the annual convention of the American Legion in Cincinnati today as she laid out her foreign policy plans before veterans from across the country. Clinton argued that she would best uphold American values and characterized her opponent Donald Trump as a dangerous choice who is “insulting to the rest of the world.”
Via Fox News:
Clinton said the country has a “unique and unparalleled ability to be a force for peace and progress.” She questioned Trump’s support for the military and hit him for his last-minute trip to Mexico Wednesday, saying it “takes more than trying to make up for a year of insults and insinuations by dropping in on our neighbors for a few hours.”
Clinton, who has an edge in many state and national polls, has been aggressively courting Republicans and independents since the party convention. She stressed her experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee and as secretary of state.
The speech was touted as one that would emphasize “American exceptionalism,” an idea that the U.S., as an “exceptional” world citizen, has a moral obligation to advance democracy in the world rather than imposing it against another country’s will. The speech largely hewed to the theme of a country with a strong military and one that cares for its veterans, red meat to the American Legion audience.
“I will never, ever disrespect Gold Star families who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,” Clinton promised, prompting an immediate backlash on Twitter:
Flashback: Benghazi Gold Star Mom Patricia Smith: Hillary Clinton ‘Treats Me Like Dirt’ https://t.co/CnSfoLHmpBhttps://t.co/5FiFGp2xpM
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) August 31, 2016
Smith (the mother of Sean Smith) and Charles Woods (the father of Tyrone Woods) are currently suing Clinton for wrongfully causing the death of their sons as well as for defamation and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Donald Trump is scheduled to address the convention on Thursday. It will be interesting to see if he will be able to fill the room and receive more robust applause.
LOTS Of Empty Seats For Hillary Clinton’s American Legion Speech #WednesdayWisdom #MAGA #TrumpPence16 pic.twitter.com/A5B2Mn6lNW
— Leah #OurREVOLUTION (@LeahR77) August 31, 2016
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