Admittedly, a half-hour per candidate wasn’t nearly enough time for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to address questions of both host Matt Lauer and audience members at NBC News’ Commander-in-Chief Forum Wednesday night.
Donald Trump might have frustrated viewers by not detailing his plan to defeat ISIS (so as not to broadcast his strategy to the enemy, he explained); however, he was clear about his belief that ISIS would never have arisen without substantial oil resources. One part of his plan that he didn’t hesitate to share then, was to “take the oil.”
That’s probably more difficult than it sounds. Trump’s statement didn’t exactly win over critics.
"We would leave 'certain groups' behind, where the oil is, and they would take the oil."
What groups? This is an incredible statement.
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) September 8, 2016
Just take the oil. This is his plan for stability in the Middle East. Take the oil.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/elizabethakreft/status/773686897537388544
"Take the oil." That's it? That's the plan? That's Trump's plan after defeating ISIS? Really?! #IAVAForum
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) September 8, 2016
"Take the oil" is the stupidest answer to the question "How can we stabilize the Middle East?" that I've ever heard.
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 8, 2016
Take the oil is the very, very, very, stupidest thing any presidential candidate has ever said.
— Jonathan Bernstein (@jbview) September 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/joshgreenman/status/773683270609465344
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"take the oil" is only applicable when visiting a day spa.
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) September 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/BenjySarlin/status/773682795872944128
Donald Trump just said "to the victor goes the spoils." He wants Iraq's oil as a "spoil." After WWII we didn't take Japan. We rebuilt it.
— JAMES T. MITCHELL (@JAMESTMITCHELL1) September 8, 2016
I feel we should begin by discussing the most basic problem with "Take the oil," which is that "the oil" is not a suitcase.
— Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) September 8, 2016
"Leave the gun, take the cannoli and the oil."
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) September 8, 2016
#TakeTheOil just became 2016s #DrillBabyDrill #IAVAforum SMH.
— Rebekah Sanderlin (@rsanderlin) September 8, 2016
We’ll give the final word to author and wounded veteran Sean Parnell, who isn’t asking how we’d take the oil, but if it’s the right thing to do.
I don't like the whole "take the oil" nonsense.
It's not who we are as a military. We are protectors & liberators, not pirates.— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) September 8, 2016
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