Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump will meet with former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger on Wednesday. The meeting with Kissinger comes after apparently weeks of telephone conversations between the two men.
Trump had a similar meeting last week with former Secretary of State James Baker. Baker released a brief statement after the fact, offering no signs of support. Earlier that same day he criticized some of Trump's foreign policy plans before a Senate committee, without directly mentioning the presumptive GOP nominee.
"The more countries that acquire nuclear weapons, the more instability there is going to be in the world," Baker said in response to questions by former candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Trump has suggested he is open to more nations having nuclear weapons.
Kissinger has previously been critical of Trump as well, particularly his proposal to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the United States.
"I don't think we can build a wall that excludes everybody," Kissinger said in December. "I do not favor an exclusion based on religion."
At the time he added if Trump became the nominee, he would "urge him not to make such a blanket exclusion." He also said at the time that while he would prefer another candidate, he was withholding a formal endorsement.
"I think the best contribution I can make is to contribute to the thinking about foreign policy. And I would not like to get into a fight between the various [candidates]," Kissinger said.
Trump also announced the hiring of a pollster late Monday. Tony Fabrizio has previously worked for Rubio and Florida Gov. Rick Scott during their statewide campaigns. He is considered to have strong ties to the large swing state. He is now also working for the man vying to be Rubio's replacement – Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla.
Trump had previously criticized the usefulness of pollsters, at least in the primary.
"I don't have pollsters. I don't want to waste money on pollsters. I don't want to be unreal. I want to be me. I have to be me," Trump said in August.
The move to meet with Kissinger though is a likely a show of force that Trump is serious about getting into policy detail. But Kissinger is as controversial as he is respected across partisan lines.
He was praised earlier this year by Hillary Clinton, while critics to her left have called for his jailing for crimes in southeast Asia in the past.
Trump has been criticized throughout the campaign for having a scant policy advisory team around him, especially on foreign policy. He changed that earlier this year when he added Keith Kellogg, Carter Page, and George Papadopoulos, among others, to his campaign.
#1: Hondo68 To: Deckard, neo conned, *Neo-Lib Chickenhawk Wars* (#0)
Rockefeller Republican revival.
Hondo68 posted on 2016-05-18 08:22:27 Reply Private Reply
#2: Deckard To: hondo68 (#1)
Trump is making a deal with the devil - I'm sure the Trump cultists here will say it's just part of his plan to "Make America Great Again"
Crimes against Humanity: Why Is Henry Kissinger Walking Around Free?
Deckard posted on 2016-05-18 08:25:41 Reply Private Reply
#3: rlk To: Deckard (#0)
Kissinger wasn't worth a damn nearly 50 years ago. He isn't worth a damn now. Trum[ is gathering too many people around him that are crapheads. He should be his own man. If he can't do that, he doesn't belong in the presidency.
This statement by Trump that Trump has suggested he is open to more nations having nuclear weapons is a recipe for disaster. Do we want the mentalities of the characters who committed 9-11 to have atom bombs? No amateurs or nut cases in the White House! Now it's beginning to look like we are going to have a choice between two of them, one Democrap or one Repubican.
rlk posted on 2016-05-18 09:13:30 Reply Private Reply
#4: misterwhite To: rlk (#3)
I agree. Only Israel should have nuclear weapons in the Middle East. This way they they they can do whatever they want and we don't have to worry about a nuclear exchange.
Besides, if anyone is going to actually use nuclear weapons, I would expect Israel to use them responsibly.
misterwhite posted on 2016-05-18 09:26:52 Reply Private Reply
#5: Stoner To: rlk (#3)
Agree
Stoner posted on 2016-05-18 09:44:36 Reply Private Reply
#6: Vicomte13 To: rlk (#3)
Japan, South Korea and Taiwan should have nuclear weapons: China has been aggressive and threatening. Let China face the reality that its conventional power stops cold where nuclear fire begins. China goes bat-shit crazy in the South China Sea? China loses sovereignty over Taiwan forever, because to invade Taiwan is to get nuked by Taiwan.
If the Poles are really worried about Russian invasion, Polish nukes resolves the threat.
Vicomte13 posted on 2016-05-18 09:56:23 Reply Private Reply
#7: rlk To: Stoner (#5)
rlk posted on 2016-05-18 16:53:39 Reply Private Reply
#8: Stoner To: rlk (#7)
In other words, we are screwed!
Stoner posted on 2016-05-18 18:03:38 Reply Private Reply
#9: no gnu taxes To: Deckard (#0)
He must be like 200 years old.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-05-18 18:46:04 Reply Private Reply
#10: rlk To: Stoner (#8)
rlk posted on 2016-05-19 00:21:53 Reply Private Reply
#11: sneakypete To: rlk (#3)
That's ONE way of saying "The treasonous SOB should have been hanged".
Trump is trolling him for Henry K's global banking contacts. He wants in on those deals.
sneakypete posted on 2016-05-19 07:11:35 Reply Private Reply
#12: sneakypete To: misterwhite (#4)
Yeah,causen we woodin want nobodie to nuke others in a irresponsible manner,do we?
When don't you just do America a favor and move to Israel?
sneakypete posted on 2016-05-19 07:14:03 Reply Private Reply
#13: sneakypete To: rlk (#10)
Three words,"Global Banking Contacts". Kissinger may be one of the original political whores,and Trump is bright enough to go to the pros for advice when it comes to selling power for profit.
sneakypete posted on 2016-05-19 07:16:31 Reply Private Reply
#14: Gatlin To: Deckard (#2)
Excluding Ron Paul, of course.
Gatlin posted on 2016-05-19 07:25:04 Reply Private Reply
#15: GrandIsland To: Gatlin (#14)
Don't forget drug addicts, criminals, Black Lives Matter trash, copblockers and domestic terrorists. Deckard has a little of all of them still dripping off his chinny-chin chin.
GrandIsland posted on 2016-05-19 08:08:41 Reply Private Reply
#16: Don To: Deckard (#0)
Don posted on 2016-05-19 12:25:23 Reply Private Reply