Joe Walsh in Interviews during 2017-2019
On Foreign Policy:
Steadfastly support NATO
Walsh says he would steadfastly support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which Trump has repeatedly criticized. Walsh claims that Trump "bear hugs" the leaders of adversarial states such as Russia and North Korea while he "stiff-arms our
allies."Walsh emphasizes the benefits of traditional U.S. alliances and criticizes President Trump for undermining long-standing relationships. Walsh says Trump "embarrasses our allies" and "embraces tyrants abroad."
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Dec 24, 2019
On Free Trade:
Everybody loses in a trade war with China
Walsh's comments on China have focused on criticizing Trump's trade war and advocating for free trade. He opposes Trump's escalating tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese imports, arguing that "everybody loses in a trade war."
He says that the tariffs amount to a tax increase on the middle class and that Beijing's retaliation is "devastating to our farmers." He calls Trump's claim that tariffs are paid by for by China "absurd."
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Dec 24, 2019
On Homeland Security:
Take seriously the dangers of Islamic terrorism
While Walsh has taken few stances on counterterrorism policy, he has spoken often of the dangers of Islamic terrorism, which he feels policymakers have not taken seriously enough.Walsh previously accused the Barack Obama administration
of skewing intelligence to downplay the threat posed by terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the self-proclaimed Islamic State.
He has opposed readmitting into the United States former citizens who renounced their citizenship to join terrorist groups.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Dec 24, 2019
On War & Peace:
Withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan
Walsh criticizes Trump's approach to peace talks in Afghanistan, as well as the president's treatment of US defense allies. Walsh calls for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, though while in Congress he supported a "surge" strategy of
additional troops, similar to the one carried out in Iraq during the Bush administration. He has criticized President Trump's negotiations with the Taliban, particularly the possibility of inviting Taliban representatives to the United States for talks.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Dec 24, 2019
On Abortion:
Science, technology removes exceptions for abortion
After a debate with his Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth in Illinois, reporters asked Republican Congressman Joe Walsh if he believed there was no such thing as a medically necessary abortion. "Absolutely," he replied. "With modern technology and
science, you can't find one instance" when a medical issue justified abortion, he continued. In case that didn't make it clear, Walsh opposes abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or health threat to the mother.
Source: Slate.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 19, 2019
On Abortion:
1996: pro-choice; 2010: pro-life without exception
Walsh first ran for Congress in 1996. He positioned himself as "open and tolerant," not "some right-wing conservative," and he supported abortion rights and gun control. He lost by 26 points. In 2010, Walsh rode the Tea Party wave to a seat in the US
House of Representatives. Unlike his two state races, in his congressional race he staked out hardline conservative views. Most notably, he abandoned his pro-life stance, saying that after seven years of prayer he had become pro-life without exception.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 3, 2019
On Gun Control:
Kinderguardian satire: "Happy shooting, kids"
In 2018, Walsh appeared on Showtime's "Who is America?" The political satire has Walsh endorsing an "intensive 3-week Kinderguardian course" that "introduces specially selected children from 12 to 4 years old to pistols, rifles, semiautomatics, and a
rudimentary knowledge of mortars. In less than a month, a first-grader can become a first grenade-er." The video ends with Walsh saying, "Happy shooting, kids." Walsh claims that the show's star, Sacha Baron Cohen, tricked him into uttering those lines.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 3, 2019
On Principles & Values:
2010: opposed by namesake rock star Joe Walsh
Walsh lost by ten percentage points to Tammy Duckworth, who is now Illinois's junior senator. Walsh lost in part because redistricting made his district friendlier to a Democratic candidate. But he was also hurt by his own behavior, which included
failing to make his child support payments and shouting at his constituents. Democrats persuaded the rock guitarist Joe Walsh, who recorded the classic Rocky Mountain Way before joining the Eagles, to criticize his political namesake.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 3, 2019
On Principles & Values:
2013: supported birtherism; 2019: apologized for it
Walsh began a new career as a conservative radio talk show host in 2013. The show became syndicated in 2017. Walsh championed the "birther" conspiracy theory on his show and pushed the equally false claim that President Obama is secretly a Muslim.
Once Walsh announced his presidential candidacy, Walsh apologized for supporting Trump's candidacy and for pushing the myth that Obama is secretly a Muslim. He admitted that he never believed the story he pushed so hard on his radio show.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 3, 2019
On War & Peace:
Congress must have a say in military force overseas
On presidential war power: "On the matter of the military and use of force, our founders assigned to Congress the power to declare war and to support the military, as a means to ensure that the President could not abuse his role as Commander-in-Chief.
This balance reflects very practical logic: Through our elected representatives, we, the people, should have a say before we use military force overseas, imperil the lives of our men and women in uniform, and spend taxpayer money on expensive wars."
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 3, 2019
On Principles & Values:
All states should hold primaries, not just re-nominate Trump
The three of us [SC Gov. Mark Sanford, IL Rep. Joe Walsh, and MA Gov. Bill Weld] are running for the Republican nomination for president. Today the Republican Party has taken a wrong turn, led by a serial self-promoter who has abandoned the bedrock
principles of the GOP. Our political system assumes an incumbent president will make his case in front of voters to prove that he or she deserves to be nominated for a second term. But now, the Republican parties of four states--AZ, KS, NV, and SC--have
canceled their nominating contests. By this design, the incumbent will be crowned winner of these states' primary delegates.It would be a critical mistake to allow the Democratic Party to dominate the national conversation during primary and caucus
season. In the United States, citizens choose their leaders. The primary nomination process is the only opportunity for Republicans to have a voice in deciding who will represent our party. Let those voices be heard.
Source: Washington Post on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Sep 13, 2019
On Energy & Oil:
No more partisanship on climate change, it's real
Q: Have you changed your views on climate change?WALSH: Yes. It's an issue I was just blindly partisan about. No more of that.
It's real and It's an issue that the Republican Party needs a seat at the table with. We need to acknowledge it and begin working on solutions.
Source: Buzzfeed.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 29, 2019
On Principles & Values:
The "Age of Trump" woke him up to racism of past comments
I think we are all capable of being racist at times, even if not purposely. I am not a racist, but certainly I've said some racist things. All I can do is apologize for them. I despise political correctness. At times, I've been ignorant to how things
I've said could inadvertently create an opening for others to use my words to further a racist agenda. I never want things I'm saying to cause hurt of pain to people. The age of Trump certainly has woken me up to that.
Source: Buzzfeed.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 29, 2019
On Civil Rights:
It's racist to say "go back to where you came from"
Walsh has a history of inconsistency in his opinions of Trump's rhetoric. At times, he has denounced the president as a racist. This summer when Trump told four Democratic congresswomen, who are people of color and citizens of the U.S., to "go back and
help fix" the countries he said they "originally came" from before trying to make legislative changes in the USA, Walsh spoke out."To say 'go back to where you came from' is gross. It's offensive, ignorant, anti-American, and racist," Walsh tweeted.
"The most racist thing Donald Trump said yesterday? Of Baltimore, he said: 'No human being would want to live there.' So all those black Americans who live in majority black Baltimore aren't human beings? That's really ugly. That's really racist.
But it was not that long ago that Walsh thought Trump's language made him a bully, but not a racist, and that Walsh was still making racist claims about Obama: "Trump treats everyone like shit. Not just black women. He's not a racist. He's a bully."
Source: USA Today on Twitter postings by 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 25, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Look into 25th amendment for Donald Trump
Q: You talk about the president being unfit. Should the 25th amendment been invoked?WALSH: It should be looked at. We've never had a situation like this. You can't believe a word he says. I don't care your politics, that should concern you. He's
erratic. He's cruel. He stokes bigotry. He's incompetent. He doesn't know what he's doing. He's a narcissist. Everything he cares about, the only thing he cares about, is Trump. He doesn't give a damn about America. He doesn't care about the border.
Source: ABC This Week on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 25, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Opposing Trump because he's an "unfit divider in chief"
Joe Walsh is moving toward challenging President Donald Trump in a Republican primary, calling the president an "unfit divider in chief" and claiming the party is craving an alternative. Walsh said, "I've been really surprised by the amount of
anxiousness from people across the spectrum who want this president to have a challenge, because there's just a real concern that he's absolutely unfit."Walsh was elected in 2010 as part of the Tea Party movement and served one term. Initially a
strong backer of Trump, he became a steady critic of the president and has called him "a danger to this country."
When asked whether he could secure financial resources to go up against Trump's treasure chest, Walsh responded: "Abso-freaking-lutely.
There's a drumbeat from a lot of people out there for somebody who wants to take this on." Walsh contends that based on conversations he's had, he could win financial support "all over the spectrum."
Source: Politico.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 21, 2019
On Budget & Economy:
Those who attacked Obama's spending should attack Trump's
Walsh called out Republicans who, like him, attacked Obama's spending but have gone silent as Trump runs up the national debt. "Trump has increased the deficit more than $100 billion year over year--it's now nearing $1 trillion--and we hear not a word
of protest from my former Republican colleagues," he wrote. "He abuses the Constitution for his narcissistic trade war. In private, most congressional Republicans oppose the trade war, but they don't say anything publicly."
Source: Salon.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 16, 2019
On Free Trade:
Tariffs are a tax increase on middle-class Americans
Walsh wrote that Trump "abuses the Constitution for his narcissistic trade war. In private, most congressional Republicans oppose the trade war, but they don't say anything publicly."
Walsh, who has come under criticism from listeners for espousing anti-Trump views on his radio show, called out the Republican Party for supporting a president whose tariffs amount to a "tax increase on middle-class
Americans and are devastating to our farmers."
"That's not a smart electoral strategy," he warned fellow conservatives. "It's one of the many reasons
Mr. Trump is ripe for a primary challenger. In fact, it would buck the historical trend if he didn't have one. More often than not, unpopular presidents face primary challengers."
Source: Salon.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 16, 2019
On Gun Control:
Purpose of Second Amendment is protection against tyranny
Joe Walsh took to Twitter [prior to the 2016 election] to announce his post-election day plans. "On November 9th," he wrote, "if Trump loses, I'm grabbing my musket. You in?"Walsh frequently says horrific things on Twitter, and it may be tempting to
write off this latest proclamation. But this sentiment--that a Donald Trump loss might justify the violent overthrow of a Hillary Clinton administration--is really just the logical endpoint of a longtime GOP talking point. The National Rifle Association
has longed peddled the "insurrectionist" theory of the Second Amendment, arguing that the right to bear arms was intended to protect citizens against a tyrannical ruler.
Although this insurrectionist theory is foreign to the Supreme Court's
interpretation of the Second Amendment, it's gained a foothold in the Republican Party. In a follow-up tweet, Walsh clarified that he was encouraging "protesting. Participating in acts of civil disobedience. Doing what it takes to get our country back."
Source: Slate.com, "Grab My Musket," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 26, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Suspended from radio show for discussing racial slurs
According to posts on former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh's Twitter account, the conservative radio talk-show host was kicked off the air Thursday night on WIND-AM (560) for using racial slurs while trying to have a discussion about racial slurs. Walsh is the
host of the weeknight "Joe Walsh Show" on WIND from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. In a series of tweets, Walsh says: "Just got kicked off the air until further notice. Tried to have honest discussion about racist terms and management censored my language."
The
WIND general manager issued a statement explaining Walsh was pulled from the air but would return: "Joe Walsh conducted a segment of his show regarding the recent controversy about the name of the Washington Redskins [football team]. During the segment
Joe intended to cite several common racial slurs as examples. He did not in any way use them in a defamatory or derogatory manner, simply as examples. However, AM 560 The Answer did not allow them to go on the air. We will continue that policy."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times on 2020 presidential Hopefuls
Jun 20, 2014
On Foreign Policy:
Two-state solution for Israel-Palestine failed for 64 years
It has been 64 years since the UN General Assembly approved the Partition Plan for Palestine and the struggle to implement a "two-state solution" began. Today, we are no closer to that end. That reminds me of the definition of insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again and expecting different results. By that definition, everyone who continues to cling to the delusion of a two-state solution is insane. There is no such thing as a two-state solution. It cannot work, it has not worked, and it
will not work.The Palestinians continue to fire rockets directly at innocent Israeli families and children, and they have betrayed the fundamental tenet of the two-state solution they tout by cutting Israel out of negotiations and going directly to
the UN.
The only viable solution for the Middle East is a one-state solution: one contiguous Israeli state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. There will not and cannot be lasting peace in the Middle East until then.
Source: Washington Times on 2020 presidential hopefuls
May 3, 2012
On Corporations:
Occupy Wall Street is a well-orchestrated Socialist movement
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) slammed Occupy Wall Street protesters during a town hall meeting, calling the movement a "well-orchestrated, well-funded, far left effort to disrupt the American people" before admitting that he had never attended a protest.
Walsh, who apologized last week after screaming at a constituent during a similar event, was reacting to constituent criticism of the Occupy movement when he let them know how he felt about it, to a mix of applause and boos.
Walsh said that Occupy
protesters are "generally spoiled, pampered, unfocused, clueless young people and a smattering of other people who don't understand this country and are advocating anti-American solutions."
When one constituent stood up and pointed out that veterans
have participated in the Occupy movement, Walsh brushed it off. "I don't know how many veterans are part of the Occupy protest," he said. "I can't imagine it's many. But anyone who would advocate socialist solutions--they don't understand this country."
Source: Huffington Post on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Nov 21, 2011
On Gun Control:
Fast and Furious: an attack on gun owners & gun dealers
Q: You are among the earliest to call for Eric Holder's resignation. Do you think you are getting a little ahead of yourself?WALSH: The more you learn about this, the more you have to ask yourself this. Nobody has given a rationale yet for this "Fast
and Furious" program. And it is clear to me, and I think it's clear to a lot of Americans, that this was an attack on gun owners. This was an attack on gun dealers. And Eric Holder is responsible for that. It is out outrageous what transpired in this
Fast and Furious. And all he is doing right now is obfuscating and not responding to Congress. He needs to be held accountable.
A: So if he answers for investigations or follow-up meetings, would you hold off on calling for the Attorney General's
resignation? Or you're still standing by that?
WALSH: No, because it is clear the Department of Justice approved a failed program, a program that I believe is criminal and in which two of our border agents were killed. And that he can't take back.
Source: Your World with Cavuto on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 26, 2011
On Corporations:
Index capital gains tax to inflation
Today, Congressman Joe Walsh introduced H.R. 2945 to increase capital access for individuals and small businesses looking to invest and create jobs. Specifically, the bill will amend the Internal Revenue Code to index the capital gains tax to inflation
so that taxes are not paid on inflation."This bill will benefit all Americans and create quality jobs in our communities," said Congressman Walsh. "By not forcing Americans to pay taxes on inflation, we are providing much needed tax relief to
American families and freeing up the capital that businesses need to hire more employees."
"This is the type of real action that Washington needs to take to remove impediments to job growth in this country. Throwing more irresponsible stimulus money
at the problem is not going to create jobs. Common-sense tax and regulatory reforms like my bill will enable American families and businesses to create jobs now and invest in the future."
Source: 2011 House press release by 2020 presidential hopefuls
Sep 16, 2011
On Homeland Security:
Cut $8.9B from defense bill, and supported 3% more
The FY12 Department of Defense Appropriations bill funds the Department of Defense and represents a cut of $8.9 billion from the President's budget request."Today I was proud to vote to ensure that our troops have the resources they need to defend
American families and our great nation. This bill is also an important step in bringing Washington's spending problem under control. For the first time in 20 years, the House has passed a Department of Defense Appropriations bill that is significantly
lower than the President's budget request. While I unconditionally support our troops, I thought it was imperative to cut some of the bloat out of the President's request. In fact, during the amendment process I also supported several amendments that
would have made further cuts to defense spending, including one that would have made an additional 3% cut across the board. Unfortunately, these amendments did not pass, but I will continue to support hard spending cuts and fiscal responsibility."
Source: 2011 House press release by 2020 presidential hopefuls
Jul 8, 2011
Page last updated: Nov 01, 2021