Trump on Former DefSec Robert Gates: ‘I’m Not a Big Fan of His’

Jeff Poor

Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reacted to remarks made by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates regarding Trump’s tweet immediately following the news of a missing EgyptAir airliner over the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday.

Gates questioned Trump’s discipline, pointing out that there was a difference between those with actual “responsibility” and a politician running for office.

Trump dismissed Gates remarks, noting that he wasn’t a “big fan of his.”

Partial transcript as follows:

BRZEZINSKI: And Donald, I want to know what you think of those comments?

TRUMP: Well, the comments are wrong, because he knows nothing about me. He knows nothing about what I said. I’m not a big fan of his, by the way, because you take a look at two things.

Look at where our country is with years of him being involved. We are a mess, number one. I know he has a great reputation and all of that. All of these guys have a great reputation. They have been doing this stuff for 15 years. Look where our country is, OK? We need a new group with better thinking.

Number two, as far as Japan and South Korea are concerned. All I’m saying is we defend them. They are paying us a tiny fraction of what it’s costing. We — I want them to pay. I would love to continue to defend Japan. I would love to continue to defend South Korea. We have 28,000 soldiers on the line between North and South Korea right now.

It is costing us an absolute fortune, which we don’t have. We’re a debtor nation. I would like them to pay up. They have a lot of money, both of those nations. We take in Japan’s cars by the millions. South Korea sells us, every time you buy televisions…

SCARBOROUGH: So, you don’t have a problem with the troops staying there. You just want Japan and South Korea to pay us for their presence.

TRUMP: I want them to pay up.

SCARBOROUGH: Fair enough.

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor

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