Clinton, Trump speak directly to veterans during Commander-in-Chief Forum


Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spoke to veterans and military voters Wednesday night during the Commander-in-Chief Forum in New York City, sponsored by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America organization and moderated by Today host Matt Lauer.
Each nominee had 30 minutes to answer questions from the audience, with Clinton going first. She said a commander-in-chief must have "steadiness mixed with strength," and has to be someone who "listens and evaluates what is told to him or her." Clinton wants to improve mental health care for veterans and reform the VA, she said, and do more about drug and alcohol addiction. She also promised to not put ground troops into Iraq "ever again" and to defeat ISIS "without ever committing ground troops."
Trump said he has "good judgment" and knows "what's going on" because he's "called so many of the shots." Under President Obama, generals have been "reduced to rubble" and are an "embarrassment," Trump said, and he indicated he would replace most of them. He told one veteran that if an undocumented person wants to serve in the military, it is a "very special circumstance," and when asked about sexual assault in the military, Trump said the "best thing we can do" is "set up a court system within the military." He also continued his claim that he has always been "totally against the war in Iraq," and said the U.S. shouldn't have left the country without taking oil. Regarding Russia's Vladimir Putin, Trump said if he "says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him." You can watch that exchange below. Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration