Fmr Bush Counter-Terror Czar Blasts Trump For ‘Diplomatic Malpractice’: The ‘Prospects of War are Inching Up’

Counterterrorism expert and White House veteran Richard Clarke spoke to CNN’s John Berman Monday morning about the US’s rapidly falling status in the world and how President Donald Trump‘s latest tweets aren’t helping matters.

“President Trump doesn’t seem to be getting what he wants out of North Korea, and this morning President Trump lashing out with this verbiage at Iran,” Berman said. “Big picture, what does this tell you about the U.S. role in the world right now?

“It is diminishing, and the US influence is diminishing,” Clarke replied. “And the overriding thing that connects all of this is diplomatic malpractice by the president of the United States.”

“He is trying to do diplomacy, high stakes diplomacy, in multiple arenas, himself, shooting from the hip,” Clarke continued. “This is a man who has no experience in national security. No experience in international diplomacy, who is ignoring his advisors and we see the results. Our influence, our respect around the world is diminishing. The prospects of war are inching up because of his tweets, because of his impulse, because of his lack of experience, and his insistence on doing it himself.”

Berman asked if this approach had any “coherence” with Trump’s oft-made promise of “America First,” and Clarke shot down that idea.

“He is trying to get a nuclear deal with North Korea, and he threw out a very good nuclear with Iran,” he said. “Basically, his philosophy is if Obama did it, it’s wrong, and if Obama didn’t do it, maybe there’s someplace for me to make history. It’s all about him, it’s not about security, it’s not about international stability.”

Watch above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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