Joe Walsh in Council on Foreign Relations
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:
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
Page last updated: Mar 16, 2022