2019-2021 Town Halls: on Foreign Policy


Joe Biden: Russia is an opponent, not an enemy

Q: The FBI Director said that Russia has been "very active in its efforts to influence the election & denigrate" you.

BIDEN: Putin knows me; the reason he doesn't want me as president: he knows I mean it [when I say that Russia] attempting to interfere with our election is a violation of our sovereignty. I don't mean war. But they'll pay a price. They'll pay a price for it, and it'll be an economic price. I've made it clear, early on, there will be a price to pay. And if it's done again, which it appears to be being done, there will be a price to pay.

Q: Can you be more specific? What is the price to pay?

BIDEN: It wouldn't be prudent for me to be more specific. But I assure you, they will pay a price.

Q: Do you believe Russia is an enemy?

BIDEN: I believe Russia is an opponent. I really do. Putin's overwhelming objective is to break up NATO, to fundamentally alter the circumstance in Europe, so he doesn't have to face an entire NATO contingent, any one country he is stronger than.

Source: CNN Town Hall 2020 drive-in with Anderson Cooper Sep 17, 2020

Joe Biden: US should promote LGBTQ rights worldwide; stop aid if needed

Q: I recently visited a country where homosexuality is illegal and could result in the death penalty. What is your stance on LGBTQ rights when it comes to our relationships with countries that have different beliefs?

BIDEN: In my State Department, we will have a special office that's devoted directly to promoting LGBTQ rights around the world. I would curtail aid to countries that engage in that kind of behavior.

Q: Saudi Arabia?

BIDEN: Saudi Arabia, same thing.

Source: CNN LGBT Town Hall 2020 Oct 10, 2019

Tom Steyer: Represent LGBT rights in human rights action abroad

Q: Would you create a special envoy within the State Department to deal with LGBTQ rights?

STEYER: I know that there are 71 countries in the world that openly discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community. And I know that the US, as a value-driven country, where we're projecting to the world what we care about, what we're willing to do about it, and the kind of world that we're trying to create with our democracy- and freedom- loving partners, should definitely include a specific attempt to represent the rights of LGBTQ people who live outside the US. So I think it's entirely appropriate as part of our foreign policy to have a person specified for that role, but also to make it clear that part of human rights, part of civil rights, that we expect in our own country, without equivocation, and that we expect people around the world to observe, is the rights of the people in this community. So I would support that.

Source: CNN LGBT Town Hall 2020 Oct 10, 2019

Bernie Sanders: Supports Israel's right to exist, not Netanyahu

Netanyahu is a right-wing politician who is treating the Palestinian people extremely unfairly. The goal must be to try to bring people together and not just support one country, which is now run by a right-wing, dare I say, racist government. I am 100 percent pro-Israel. Israel has every right in the world to exist in peace and security and not be subjected to terrorist attacks. But the United States needs to deal not just with Israel, but with the Palestinian people, as well.
Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

Marianne Williamson: Support Israeli security & Palestinian human rights

I believe that the United States must have an absolute simultaneous and equal support of the legitimate security concerns of Israel and the human rights and dignities and economic opportunities of the Palestinian people. The leaders of the Palestinian Authority will know that you say is going to sway me from my commitment to the legitimate security of Israel, and Israeli leaders similarly will know nothing is going to sway me from my commitment to the human rights and the dignity of the Palestinian people. It's been since Jimmy Carter that we've had a U.S. president to say flat out those settlements are illegal. In me, you would have a president who says those settlements are illegal.
Source: CNN Town Hall 2020 Democratic primary Apr 14, 2019

Marianne Williamson: Return moral principles to our foreign policy

I want the moral leadership of our State Department back. When you're willing to -- for the sake of a $100 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, go along with support for a genocidal war that we know has starved tens of thousands of Yemenis, when Mike Pompeo says, "well, sometimes you can have strategic partnerships with people who do not share your values," no, you can't. It means you have sacrificed your values. I want the moral principles that should be central to American foreign policy back.
Source: CNN Town Hall 2020 Democratic primary Apr 14, 2019

  • The above quotations are from 2020 Presidential Primary CNN Town Halls.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Foreign Policy.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Bernie Sanders on Foreign Policy.
  • Click here for more quotes by Pete Buttigieg on Foreign Policy.
2020 Presidential contenders on Foreign Policy:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Apr 07, 2021