JD Vance on War & Peace : Oct 1, 2024
Trump deterred Iran; Biden-Harris unfroze $100B

WALZ: Israel's ability to defend itself is absolutely fundamental. What we've seen out of Vice President Harris is we've seen steady leadership. Our allies see Donald Trump turn towards Vladimir Putin, turn towards North Korea--fickleness around holding the coalitions together.

VANCE: Gov. Walz just accused Donald Trump of being an agent of chaos, Donald Trump actually delivered stability in the world, and he did it by establishing effective deterrence. People were afraid of stepping out of line. Iran, which launched [against Israel today's missile] attack, has received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration. What do they use that money for? They use it to buy weapons that they're now launching against our allies and, God forbid, potentially launching against the United States as well. Donald Trump recognized that for people to fear the United States, you needed peace through strength.

Tim Walz on War & Peace : Oct 1, 2024
Build coalition against Iranian nuclear weapons

VANCE: Governor Walz just accused Donald Trump of being an agent of chaos, Donald Trump actually delivered stability in the world, and he did it by establishing effective deterrence.

WALZ: We had a coalition of nations that had boxed Iran's nuclear program in. Donald Trump pulled that program and put nothing else in its place. So Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before because of Donald Trump's fickle leadership.

Kamala Harris on Homeland Security : Sep 22, 2024
Endorsed by 700 national security officials

The letter criticizes Trump for praising "adversarial dictators" including China's Xi Jinping, North Korea's Kim Jung-un, and Russia's Vladimir Putin, "as well as the terrorist leaders of Hezbollah," while denigrating the U.S.

"The contrast with Mr. Trump is clear: where Vice President Harris is prepared and strategic, he is impulsive and ill-informed. We do not agree on everything, but we all adhere to two fundamental principles," the letter said. "First, we believe America's national security requires a serious and capable Commander-in-Chief. Second, we believe American democracy is invaluable."

"Our endorsement of Harris is an endorsement of freedom and an act of patriotism. It is an endorsement of democratic ideals and of relentless optimism in America's future."

Ryan Binkley on Foreign Policy : Feb 5, 2024
Quick to aid allies, willing to extend hand of diplomacy

The way to freedom is an America that is proud and secure in its place in the world, unflinching in the face of tyranny, slow to anger, quick to aid its allies, but always willing to extend the hand of diplomacy to anyone who will take it in good faith.

Nikki Haley on War & Peace : Dec 6, 2023
Win in Ukraine to protect Taiwan from China

If China pulled the rug out from under us tomorrow, would we be ready? Think about what happened during COVID. Everybody told you to wear a mask, they were made in China. Everything that happened, if you go to the drugstore, all those medicines are made in China. We have to make sure that we are not relying on China for anything related to our national security, which means let's start focusing on doing deals with our friends now.

Chris Christie on Foreign Policy : Nov 8, 2023
It's the price we pay for being leaders of the free world

Gov. Christie: Let's remember the last time that we turned our back on a shooting war in Europe. It bought us just a couple of years and then 500,000 Americans were killed in Europe to defeat Hitler. This is not a choice. This is the price we pay for being the leaders of the free world. And the fact is this alliance is not just with Russia and China. Iran is in the middle of this as well, and so is North Korea. And the reason they're doing it is because dictators work together. People who believe in democracy work together. We must stand with all of those that are standing up for democracy and freedom in this world. And let's remind everybody of this: In 1992, this country made a promise to Ukraine. We said if you return nuclear missiles that were part of the old Soviet Union to Russia and they invade you, we will protect you. An American promise that's 31 years old--we need to stand by it.

Chris Christie on Foreign Policy : Nov 8, 2023
Work with reasonable Arab nations to isolate Iran

Chris Christie: Make sure that we continue to isolate Iran, work with the reasonable nations in the Middle East, the other Arab nations who want to partner with you and make sure that we continue to isolate Iran so that their only friends in the world are the part of the evil foursome, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Chris Christie on War & Peace : Jun 12, 2023
Support for Ukraine is really a proxy war with China

If I were President Zelenskyy, I'd want everything too. But there's going to come a point, if Ukraine is aggressive enough and we're giving them the arms and support that they need, that both Ukraine and Russia are going to understand that it's time to end the killing and there may have to be some kind of compromise. That's what we should be in the middle of trying to foster, once we get in a position where Ukraine can protect the land that's been taken by Russia in this latest incursion.

Vivek Ramaswamy on Foreign Policy : Jun 8, 2023
Shift focus from NATO to PATO, for Pacific/Asian security

He would seek to form that alliance with South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and "much of Southeast Asia" to push back on Beijing. "I think there's a world in which Russia even plays a role with that," he said.

The idea of an "Asian NATO" has been around for years, though as of now there's no real movement to create one. The entrepreneur's ultimate vision is one of a "trilateral order" where the top three powers are the U.S., China and Russia. The key, he argues, is severing ties between Moscow and Beijing to eliminate that support for Xi's government.

Nikki Haley on Foreign Policy : Jun 4, 2023
Kim Jong-un is a thug; nothing good or decent about him

Nikki Haley on Free Trade : Jun 4, 2023
When I was governor, I sold South Carolina to everyone

Nikki Haley on Foreign Policy : May 7, 2023
Successfully got sanctions placed against North Korea

Bernie Sanders on Health Care : Apr 1, 2023
Vermont forced to repeal single-payer healthcare system

Larry Elder on War & Peace : Mar 3, 2022
Biden should have done more to prevent Ukraine invasion

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Oct 22, 2020
At peace with North Korea due to my friendship with Kim

BIDEN: What has he done? He's legitimized North Korea. He's talked about his good buddy, who's a thug. He talks about how we're better off. The Korean Peninsula should be a nuclear free zone.

TRUMP: They left me a mess. North Korea was a mess, and it was a very dangerous period in my first three months before we worked things out a little bit. . They left us a mess, and Obama would be, I think, the first to say it, was the single biggest problem he thought that our country.

Joe Biden on Foreign Policy : Oct 22, 2020
Trump has legitimized North Korea, a rogue state

BIDEN: North Korea is a problem, and we're going make sure we can control them and make sure they cannot hurt us. If you want to do something about it, step up and help. If not, it's going to continue." What has he done? He's legitimized North Korea. He's talked about his good buddy, who's a thug. He talks about how we're better off. And they have much more capable missiles, able to reach US territory much more easily than before. The Korean Peninsula should be a nuclear free zone.

TRUMP: I met with Obama, he said, "The biggest problem we have is North Korea." He indicated we will be in a war with North Korea. I have a good relationship with Kim. We have a good relationship and there's no war. Having a good relationship with leaders of other countries is a good thing.

Joe Biden on Foreign Policy : Oct 15, 2020
America First means America Alone

We find ourselves, in the Western Pacific, where we're isolated as well. You have Japan and South Korea at odds with one another. China is making moves. So I would say, we're find ourselves less secure than we've been. I do compliment the president on the deal with Israel recently. But if you take a look, we're not very well trusted around the world. When 17 major nations in the world were asked who they trust more, who's a better leader, and the president came in behind both, the international survey, both behind Putin, as well as Xi. And look what Putin is doing.

Donald Trump on War & Peace : Sep 15, 2020
I'm bringing troops back, when advisers wanted war

Look at North Korea, how that's worked out. We haven't--the sanctions are on. Everything's the same. We haven't spent anything. We're getting along with him. I get along with Kim Jong-un. That was supposed to be a war.

If President Obama were president, if Hillary Clinton ever got in, that would be a war, probably a nuclear war with North Korea. In the meantime, I'm getting calls all the time from friends of mine in South Korea. Thank you. We love you. Thank you. It's really been rather amazing.

Donald Trump on War & Peace : Jun 21, 2020
2018: End South Korean war games to deal with North Korea

John BOLTON: I was very concerned that he would give away things that he didn't need to give away. He told Kim Jong Un we would give up, what he called, "the war games on the Korean peninsula." The president didn't seem to understand that the war games, as he called them, were critical to American and South Korean ability to be ready to withstand pressure from North Korea.

Joe Biden on Foreign Policy : Feb 25, 2020
Meet with North Korea and China together

BIDEN: You don't negotiate with a dictator, give him legitimacy without any notion whether he is going to do anything at all. You don't do that. Look what happened. [President Trump] gave this dictator--he's a thug--legitimacy. We've weakened the sanctions around the world.

Q: So what would you do?

BIDEN: I would be in Beijing, I would be speaking with Xi Jinping. I would be reassigning the relationship between the Japan and South Korea, and I would make it clear to China, we are going to continue to move closer to make sure that we can, in fact, prevent North Korea from launching missiles to take them down.

Bernie Sanders on War & Peace : Feb 7, 2020
Killing bad leaders leads to international anarchy

Donald Trump on Homeland Security : Jan 21, 2020
South Korea should pay for $10B missile defense system

"We should charge them rent," Trump said of South Korea. We should make them pay for our soldiers. We should make the money off everything." Trump said U.S. troops and defense systems in South Korea did not make Americans safer. He said he could eliminate the nuclear threat on the peninsula simply by striking a deal with North Korean dictator Kim Jun Un. " This is all about leader versus leader. Man versus man. Kim versus me, he said."

Kamala Harris on Foreign Policy : Nov 20, 2019
Trump got punked by North Korea

HARRIS: With all due deference to the fact that this is presidential debate, Donald Trump got punked. He has conducted foreign policy out of a very fragile ego that fails to understand that one of the most important responsibilities of the commander-in-chief is to concern herself with the security of our nation and homeland. And to do it in a way that understands that part of the strength of who we are as a nation is not only that we have a vibrant military, but that we are respected because we keep to our word, we are consistent, we speak truth, and we are loyal.

Q: But would you make concessions to North Korea to keep talks going?

HARRIS: Not at this point. There are no concessions to be made. Trump has traded a photo-op for nothing. Trump has compromised our ability to have a check on North Korea's nuclear program.

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Sep 10, 2019
You can never show weakness; you've got to project strength

"It's funny," [said one advisor], "and it certainly seems to have gotten under Kim's skin." But, he asked, "What's the end game here if we continue to amp up the rhetoric and get into a war of words and it escalates, what are you hoping to get out of this? How does this end?"

"You can never show weakness," Trump replied. "You've got to project strength. Kim and others need to be convinced that I'm prepared to do anything to back up our interests."

Marianne Williamson on War & Peace : Aug 16, 2019
North Korea: Partial sanction relief for some disarming

Bernie Sanders on Foreign Policy : Jun 30, 2019
Talk to adversaries but we need more than photo ops

Kamala Harris on Foreign Policy : Jun 27, 2019
Trump embracing Korean & Russian dictators is a threat

A: It's Donald Trump. You want to talk about North Korea, a real threat in terms of nuclear arsenal, but what does he do? He embraces Kim Jong-un, a dictator, for the sake of a photo op. Putin--you want to talk about Russia? He takes the word of the Russian president over the word of the American intelligence community when it comes to a threat to our democracy and our elections.

Mike Pence on War & Peace : Apr 17, 2019
North Korea must abandon its nuclear ambitions

Donald Trump on War & Peace : Mar 8, 2019
Countries hosting US troops should pay for them

Donald Trump on War & Peace : Feb 5, 2019
My good relationship with North Korea has prevented war

Nikki Haley on Foreign Policy : Dec 13, 2018
Helped broker U.N. sanctions on North Korea

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Sep 25, 2018
Reject ideology of globalism; embrace doctrine of patriotism

Touting his meeting this year with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and blasting Iran for spreading mayhem in the Middle East, Trump offered an impassioned defense of a foreign policy doctrine he said would allow countries to reject "global governance."

"We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism," Trump said. "We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy."

Trump's remarks were buffeted by warnings from other world leaders that America's pullback from the international institutions was ill-conceived and even dangerous. "Do not accept the erosion of multilateralism. Don't accept our history unraveling," the President of France said.

Mike Pence on War & Peace : Sep 9, 2018
Progress toward denuclearization & peace on Korean Peninsula

PENCE: We're making progress restoring American strength in the world, seeing the opportunity for peace emerge on the Korean Peninsula. We're expecting a letter from Kim Jong-un communicating his reaffirmation of his commitment to denuclearization. No more nuclear tests. No more missile tests. Our hostages are home. That's all the result of the President's leadership.

Q: But the Secretary of State called off his visit?

PENCE: The President canceled the meeting a week ago because he wasn't seeing enough progress in denuclearization that that may well have resulted in what Kim Jong-un communicated to a South Korean envoy just last week, and we're anticipating the letter from Kim Jong-un and all the while our sanctions remain in place.

Mike Pence on War & Peace : Feb 22, 2018
America stands up to North Korea and murderous dictatorships

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Jan 30, 2018
Sanctions on Communist dictators in North Korea & Cuba

North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from happening.

Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this dangerous position. We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and our allies.

Asa Hutchinson on Foreign Policy : Apr 28, 2017
Eradicate North Korean leadership, but no assassinations

In a discussion with reporters in Washington, Kasich evaluated the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and suggested that Trump devise a plan to swiftly eliminate North Korea's leadership. "How do you deal with this? I think there might be a way, and that has to do with taking out the North Korean leadership," Kasich said. He added, "I believe the best way to solve this problem is to eradicate the leadership. I'm talking about those who are closest to making the decisions that North Korea's following now."

Kasich stopped short of explicitly recommending that US forces assassinate North Korea's leaders, but what he described would be a military & intelligence exercise. "The North Korean top leadership has to go. There are ways in which that can be achieved," Kasich said.

Donald Trump on War & Peace : Mar 2, 2017
North Korea has no economic future if they retain nukes

Donald Trump on War & Peace : Jan 2, 2017
Disallow North Korea from developing nuclear delivery system

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during his annual New Year's address that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have "reached the final stage." The development came after the country claims it tested its first hydrogen bomb last year.

North Korea, which has been at odds with the United States since the start of the Korean War in 1950, first tested a nuclear weapon in 2006. A nuclear test was conducted last year on Jan. 6.

Mike Pence on War & Peace : Oct 4, 2016
Peace with North Korea through US strength

PENCE: We need to rebuild our military, including modernizing our nuclear forces. We need an effective American diplomacy that will marshal the resources of nations in the Asian Pacific Rim to put pressure on North Korea, on Kim Jong-un, to abandon his nuclear ambitions. When Donald Trump is president, we're not going to have the world flouting American power. We're going back to the days of peace through strength.

KAINE: You asked the question about how deal with a North Korea. I'm on the Foreign Relations Committee. We just did an extensive sanctions package against North Korea. The U.N. followed and did this -- virtually the same package. Often China will use their veto in the Security Council to veto a package like that. They're starting to get worried about North Korea, too. So they actually supported the sanctions package, even though many of the sanctions are against Chinese firms.

Jill Stein on War & Peace : Sep 27, 2016
Libyan invasion was a catastrophe that inflamed the Mideast

DR. JILL STEIN: Let's be mindful here of Secretary Clinton's track record. Was the invasion of Libya an example of how we lead with strength consistent with our values? It would be hard to imagine a more catastrophic war than what took place in Libya, that helped strengthen ISIS, that helped release an incredible stockpile of weapons, further inflaming the crisis and the violence in the Middle East. Clinton has said she would like to impose a no-fly zone over Syria, which basically means we are going to war with Russia, [who fly in that airspace].

Donald Trump on Homeland Security : Sep 26, 2016
We defend Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia: they need to pay

CLINTON: I want to reassure our allies in Japan and South Korea and elsewhere that we have mutual defense treaties and we will honor them. It is essential that America's word be good. On behalf of a majority of the American people, I want to say that our word is good.

TRUMP: And as far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We cannot be the policemen of the world.

Donald Trump on Homeland Security : Aug 23, 2016
South Korea and Japan should pay 100% of US military costs

"NATO was set up when we were a richer country," Trump said. "We're not a rich country. We're borrowing, we're borrowing all of this money."

But you do know, editorial writer Charles Lane said, that South Korea and Japan pay half of the administrative cost of keeping the American military in those countries, right?

"Fifty percent?" Trump asked.

"Yeah," Lane confirmed.

"Why isn't it one hundred percent?"

Mike Pence on Free Trade : Jul 14, 2016
Supports TPP and trade agreements with Pacific Rim and China

• Pence backed trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea, Panama, Peru, Oman, Chile and Singapore during his House tenure from 2001 through 2012.
• He voted to keep the US in the World Trade Organization and to maintain permanent normal trade relations with China, the country Trump repeatedly criticizes for unfair trade practices.
• Pence also has publicly supported the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement of Pacific Rim nations, which Trump opposes and has likened to rape.

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Apr 1, 2016
Develop nukes in South Korea & Japan to counter North Korea

Trump has argued that allowing Japan and South Korea to get the weapons would relieve the US of defending their East Asia allies. Foreign leaders from both countries have dismissed the idea. "You have so many countries already--China, Pakistan, you have so many countries, Russia--you have so many countries right now that have them," Trump said during a CNN town hall. "Now, wouldn't you rather, in a certain sense, have Japan have nuclear weapons when North Korea has nuclear weapons?"

Donald Trump on Homeland Security : Feb 25, 2016
Charge rich countries like Germany more to defend them

TRUMP: We can no longer defend all of these countries, Japan, Germany, South Korea. You order televisions, you order almost anything, you're getting it from these countries. They are making a fortune. We defend all of these countries for peanuts. You talk about budgets. We have to start getting reimbursed for taking care of the military services for all of these countries.

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Feb 10, 2016
China should make Kim Jong Un disappear

"I mean, this guy's a bad dude, and don't underestimate him," Trump said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "Any young guy who can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably want the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated."

Trump maintained that China has control over North Korea and the US has control over China--thus "China should do that," he said. "China has control--absolute control--over North Korea. They don't say it, but they do," Trump explained. "And they should make that problem disappear. China is sucking us dry. They're taking our money. They're taking our jobs. We have rebuilt China with what they've taken out."

Bernie Sanders on Foreign Policy : Feb 4, 2016
I worry about Putin in Crimea but worry more about N. Korea

SANDERS: No I don't. I worry about Putin and his military adventurism in the Crimea, but I worry more about an isolated country. Russia lives in the world. China lives in the world. North Korea is a strange country because it is so isolated, and I do feel that a nation with nuclear weapons, they have got to be dealt with.

Bernie Sanders on Foreign Policy : Feb 4, 2016
North Korea is run by nuclear-armed paranoid dictator

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Jan 14, 2016
China totally controls North Korea; they're just taunting us

Bernie Sanders on Foreign Policy : Jan 7, 2016
Lean on China to deal with North Korea

SANDERS: First of all, we're going to have to lean on China. China is North Korea's closest ally. They're gonna have to push North Korea to start adhering to international agreements.

Q: How do we lean on China?

SANDERS: We have a relationship with China. China is equally concerned about what North Korea is doing. North Korea is a paranoid, isolated nation. When you have a hydrogen bomb, if that's true, you're a threat to China as well.

Donald Trump on Technology : Dec 15, 2015
Close our Internet up, to fight ISIS terrorist recruitment

TRUMP: ISIS is recruiting through the Internet. ISIS is using the Internet better than we are using the Internet, and it was our idea. I want to get our brilliant people from Silicon Valley and other places and figure out a way that ISIS cannot do what they're doing. You talk freedom of speech. I don't want them using our Internet to take our young, impressionable youth. We should be using our most brilliant minds to figure a way that ISIS cannot use the Internet. And then we should be able to penetrate the Internet and find out exactly where ISIS is and everything about ISIS. And we can do that if we use our good people.

Q: So, are you open to closing parts of the Internet?

TRUMP: I would certainly be open to closing areas where we are at war with somebody. I don't want to let people that want to kill us \use our Internet.

Donald Trump on Homeland Security : Nov 10, 2015
We worry about Iranian nukes but why not North Korean nukes?

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Sep 28, 2015
Reimbursement for US military bases in rich countries abroad

Trump then got into a specific example: Saudi Arabia, one of the more important US allies in the Middle East. Saudis "make a billion dollars a day. We protect them. So we need help. We are losing a tremendous amount of money on a yearly basis and we owe $19 trillion," he said.

Walking back trade deals and agreements that allow the US military to operate overseas is easier said than done. But Trump has tapped into a powerful anti-Washington populist sentiment.

Donald Trump on Foreign Policy : Sep 16, 2015
We must deal with the maniac in North Korea with nukes

Bernie Sanders on Homeland Security : Sep 5, 2015
Reduce nuclear budget by $100B; end proliferation worldwide

It is with this vision in mind that Bernie supports the Iran nuclear pact. Similarly, Bernie has been working to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles around the world. In 2015, Bernie co-sponsored the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures Act, which would reduce the nuclear weapons budget by $100 billion over the next ten years.

Jill Stein on Homeland Security : Jul 6, 2015
Disarm North Korea as part of worldwide nuclear disarmament

Stein: That's a complicated problem in a society that has many issues and struggles but that also includes Korea's history of violence and imperialism, from both Japan and the US. There is a history of incredible distrust and aggression--it's important to understand that.

OnTheIssues: And what about their nuclear capability?

Stein: To build a nuclear free world--we've been addressing non-proliferation for a long time without address nuclear disarmament. Non-proliferation was supposed to be a phase through which we passed on the way to nuclear disarmament. They see nuclear weapons as essential, from their viewpoint, to defend their sovereignty.

OnTheIssues: So you mean we should lead by example?

Stein: We should lead by virtue of global agreements that also include us. We could get rid of MANY nukes as a first step because we're so far ahead [in possessing more nuclear weapons than the rest of the world].

Bernie Sanders on Principles & Values : Mar 6, 2014
My form of democratic socialism is not Communism

A: In Vermont, people understand exactly what I mean. They don't believe that democratic socialism is akin to North Korea communism. When I talk about democratic socialism, what I'm saying is that I do not want to see the US significantly dominated by a handful of billionaire families controlling the economic & political life of the country. That I do believe that in a democratic, civilized society, all people are entitled to health care as a right, all people are entitled to quality education as a right, all people are entitled to decent jobs and a decent income, and that we need a government which represents ordinary Americans and not just the wealthy and the powerful. Very sadly, the corporate media ignores some of the huge accomplishments that have taken place in Scandinavia, with a long history of democratic socialism.

Bernie Sanders on Budget & Economy : Dec 10, 2010
Why did we bail out South Korea?

Joe Biden on War & Peace : Jul 31, 2007
Bush invaded Iraq as the weakest of the Axis of Evil

I thought this approach was flawed. The facts showed that terrorist groups didn't base their training camps in countries with strong governments or dictators; they found safe haven in failed states & grew stronger in the vacuum of power.

There was a lot of noise about overthrowing Saddam Hussein. Of the three Axis of Evil countries, Iraq was the country that could put up the least military resistance, and I believed Cheney & Rumsfeld were pushing the president toward an invasion

Joe Biden on Foreign Policy : Apr 26, 2007
Biggest threat to US is from North Korea, Iran, & Russia

A: The biggest threat to the US is, right now, North Korea. Iran not as big a threat, but a long-term threat. And quite frankly, the tendency of Putin to move in a totalitarian direction, which would unhinge all that's going on positively in Europe.

Donald Trump on War & Peace : Jul 2, 2000
Use force to stop North Korean nuke development