Some of the candidates running for president are sorely lacking in meaningful foreign policy experience — a pedigree of utmost importance in today's turbulent world climate, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, tells
Newsmax TV.
But if one stands out, according to Hoekstra, it is Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
"There are a number of the governors that don't have the foreign policy experience. What is their vision? How realistic are their visions?" Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican, said Tuesday to John Bachman and Miranda Khan, co-hosts of Newsmax Now.
"Immediately pulling out of an Iran deal or immediately going into Syria, we know that these issues are much more complicated than that. We need someone who can go up there, who can understand the issues, identify the right people, to put in place their vision for the future.
"But they have to be comfortable talking about these issues and in foreign policy, you have to walk away from making absolutes. It's not that easy, foreign policy is very, very difficult."
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In recent polling, Donald Trump has been ranked as the best candidate to handle foreign policy — a finding Hoekstra understands.
"It's clear that Trump touting his international experience, saying I've negotiated with the Chinese, I've negotiated with the Russians, I've negotiated," Hoekstra said.
"[It] gives people a certain level of comfort and belief that, hey, this guy does know how to work internationally, he's been successful, so obviously he's at least negotiated with them on a par.
"But as you start going through some of the other candidates, you take a look at the governor of Ohio, John Kasich. John has 18 years of experience on the Armed Services Committee in the House, He's also been a governor."
Hoekstra said that in reality, voters know very little about how any of the candidates stand on foreign policy and the depth of their experience.
"Up until recently, foreign policy would have been number seven or eight on their list of priorities. Most of the time American people don't pay much attention to foreign policy," he said.
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