Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) — Republican Donald Trump leveled unusually harsh criticism against the U.S. military during a national security forum on NBC Wednesday night.
Trump said that America's generals have been "reduced to rubble" under President Barack Obama and suggested he would fire some of them if he wins the presidency in November.
Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton each fielded 30 minutes of questions about their experience and judgment to be commander in chief. While the candidates never appeared on stage together, their back-to-back sessions served as a preview of sorts for their upcoming debates.
By virtue of a coin flip, Clinton took the stage first and quickly found herself responding at length to questions about her years in government. She reiterated that she had made mistakes in relying on a personal email account and private server as secretary of state and in voting for the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a senator. But Clinton defended her support for U.S. military intervention to help oust a dictator in Libya, despite the chaotic aftermath and asked to be judged on the "totality" of her record.
%@AP Links
274-a-10-(Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, in broadcast of Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum)-"for our country"-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says he does have a plan for defeating the Islamic State group and repeats his assertion that he know more about the terrorists than the generals do. COURTESY: NBC News ((mandatory on-air credit)) ((note length)) (7 Sep 2016)
<<CUT *274 (09/07/16)££ 00:10 "for our country"
276-a-16-(Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, in broadcast of Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum)-"nothing for them"-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump vows to provide veterans with better treatment, and says that suicide prevention is a top priority. COURTESY: NBC News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (7 Sep 2016)
<<CUT *276 (09/07/16)££ 00:16 "nothing for them"
272-a-16-(Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, Democratic presidential nominee, in broadcast of Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum)-"were moving forward"-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton says she is proud that she helped lay the groundwork for the historic international nuclear deal with Iraq. COURTESY: NBC News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (7 Sep 2016)
<<CUT *272 (09/07/16)££ 00:16 "were moving forward"
271-a-18-(Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, Democratic presidential nominee, in broadcast of Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum)-"from the mistakes"-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was asked to consider Iraq War veterans, and explain why she says the war they fought in was a mistake. COURTESY: NBC News ((mandatory on-air credit)) ((note length)) (7 Sep 2016)
<<CUT *271 (09/07/16)££ 00:18 "from the mistakes"
APPHOTO NYEV131: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks with 'Today' show co-anchor Matt Lauer at the NBC Commander-In-Chief Forum held at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space museum aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier Intrepid, New York, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (8 Sep 2016)
<<APPHOTO NYEV131 (09/08/16)££
APPHOTO NYAH201: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a "commander in chief forum" hosted by NBC in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (8 Sep 2016)
<<APPHOTO NYAH201 (09/08/16)££
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
