Johnson on Aleppo gaffe: ‘I’m human’
Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson said Thursday that he “blanked” when he appeared not to know about Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, in a morning news interview.
“This morning, I began my day by setting aside any doubt that I’m human,” Johnson said in a statement shared with The Hill.
“Can I name every city in Syria? No. Should I have identified Aleppo? Yes. Do I understand its significance? Yes,” he added.
“That would begin, clearly, with daily security briefings that, to me, will be fundamental to the job of being President,” he said.
“What would you do if you were elected about Aleppo?” MSNBC political commentator Mike Barnicle asked Johnson minutes into an interview.
“And what is Aleppo?” Johnson asked.
“You’re kidding,” Barnicle said.
“No,” Johnson responded.
“Aleppo is in Syria,” Barnicle replied. “It’s the epicenter of the refugee crisis.”
“OK, got it, got it,” Johnson said, quickly moving on to discuss the conflict in Syria, calling it “a mess.”
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