Trump's foreign policy critics have it right

THE rising chorus of criticism of US presidential candidate Donald Trump by the foreign policy elite of his own Republican Party is quite unprecedented. They have declared him "unfit" for the presidency because of his "dishonesty" and "wildly inconsistent" positions which pose immense "economic dangers" at home and abroad.

They have no faith in the real estate tycoon's ability or his commitment to protect core American foreign policy interests, fearing that he is already alienating friendly countries, and making new enemies overseas.

The criticism is without precedent in American presidential history. Even when president Richard Nixon was concealing the truth about the emerging Watergate scandal while preparing to run for a second term, Republican leaders had stood by him and Mr Nixon was re-elected in 1972.