PHILADELPHIA — Vice President Joseph R. Biden said on Wednesday that Donald Trump knows “nothing” about foreign policy and that he’s playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The truth is, Donald Trump knows nothing about foreign [policy] — nor should he based upon his background,” Mr. Biden said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“I don’t see any attempt for him to go out and get people who really know on the Republican side,” he said.
“This whole thing about NATO. Now, everybody’s making a big thing and saying he’s a friend of Putin’s — I don’t buy that,” Mr. Biden said. “But here’s what he’s doing. He’s playing directly into the hands of a guy who says … his overarching goal, Putin, is to break up NATO and to fracture Europe — makes him stronger.”
Mr. Trump has said recently that he’d review whether NATO member countries have fulfilled their obligations before coming to their aid in the event of encroachment by a country like Russia.
“So here you got someone come along and say you know, unless Latvia pays their bills — first of all, they’re paying their bill — but unless Latvia pays the bill, I’m not sure we’re going to honor Article 5 of a treaty that is the single most significant treaty in the history of mankind, lasted over 60 years, is absolutely central to our security,” Mr. Biden said.
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“I don’t think he knows what Article 5 is, nor should anybody here know what Article 5 is,” Mr. Biden said, referring to the section of the treaty that says an attack against one ally is considered to be an attack against all of them.
“But if you’re going to be president of the United States of America, you better know,” he said.
Mr. Biden also said Mr. Trump’s stated plans to “carpet bomb” the enemy were disconcerting - though it was actually Sen. Ted Cruz who used that phrase during the GOP primary contest.
“Some of the things he says, like for example, I know he’s trying to be tough, but you’re going to go out and carpet bomb,” Mr. Biden said.
“You want make friends and influence people in the Middle East - you’re going to go carpet bomb innocent people and bad people at the same time, and that’s going to help us fight against ISIS?”
Mr. Trump retorted on Twitter Wednesday: “Our not very bright Vice President, Joe Biden, just stated that I wanted to ’carpet bomb’ the enemy. Sorry Joe, that was Ted Cruz!”
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• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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