Honor. Courage. Commitment. In the U.S. Marine Corps, these are the core values that make good leaders. And these are the values we ought to find in our next Commander in Chief.
In stark contrast to these values our troops know well, Donald Trump proves to us every day that his conduct and demeanor make him dangerously unfit to serve as our Commander in Chief. He is a threat to our troops and to our democracy. And I've yet to see him display the core values we need in our nation's next president.
Anyone who would disparage the family of a fallen soldier does not deserve the honor to serve as Commander in Chief.
Anyone who would advocate for a blanket ban on a group of people based on their religion must not believe in the Constitution, and certainly can't be trusted to uphold it.
Anyone who would call on a foreign government to attack the United States, as Trump did in suggesting Russia interfere in our elections, is known by a simple term in our military: traitor.
And anyone who compares the "sacrifice" of running for President to what it means to put your life on the line for our country lacks the basic human decency to be trusted with anything.
Donald Trump has praised Saddam Hussein, a dictator responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemen. He praises Vladimir Putin, even though he didn't realize Putin had invaded Ukraine. And now we've learned that Trump's campaign chairman has been paid off by the Russian government.
When it comes to keeping our nation safe, Donald Trump's "plan" for defeating ISIS calls for indiscriminate bombing, which will only create more terrorists than it will kill, and torture, which is ineffective and puts our troops in danger. His proposed ban on Muslims is being used by ISIS to recruit terrorists to attack us.
Meanwhile, members of our military are discussing what it would mean to have to disobey the orders of the Commander in Chief because those orders are unconstitutional—truly unbelievable.
Our troops deserve a Commander in Chief with the judgment they can trust, and we all deserve a President who believes in our American values.
That's why I'm voting for Hillary Clinton. As Secretary of State, she demonstrated the tenacious leadership under pressure to support our allies and oppose our enemies across the globe. As Senator, she proved she can walk across the aisle to get things done.
It's time for Americans across the political spectrum—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike—to stand united and do what's best for our country, and ensure that Donald Trump never receives the nuclear codes, never violates our Constitution as Commander in Chief, and never disgraces the Oval Office as our President.
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August 20, 2016
