Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta harshly condemned Donald Trump
Donald TrumpStowaway found in landing gear of plane after flight from Guatemala to Miami Kushner looking to Middle East for investors in new firm: report GOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips MORE, but his speech was overtaken by protesters at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.
Panetta called Donald Trump’s remarks about Russia “inconceivable” in a scathing primetime address.
“It’s inconceivable to me that any presidential candidate would be this irresponsible,” Panetta, also a former CIA director under President Obama, said.
But his speech was interrupted by sustained chants of "no more war." The chants came the delegations of Oregon and Washington, two states won by Bernie Sanders
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Eventually, other delegates drowned them out with chants of “USA.”
But Panetta appeared rattled by the interruptions and unsure how to proceed. As Panetta continued to speak, the lights were dimmed over the sections of Sanders supporters, an apparent effort to silence them.
Panetta wasn’t the only speaker on Wednesday night to trash Trump’s comments, but he was perhaps the most vociferous of the early speakers.
“Today, Donald Trump once again took Russia’s side. He asked the Russians to engage in American politics,” Panetta said. “Think about that for a moment. Donald Trump is asking one of our adversaries to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States to affect our election.”
"This morning, this very morning, he personally invited Russia to hack us," Hutson, a former Republican who has spoken at multiple Democratic conventions, said Wednesday, prompting loud boos from the crowd. "That's not law and order, that's criminal intent."
John Sidney McCainGOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, Chris Christie battle over Fox News Trump's attacks on McConnell seen as prelude to 2024 White House bid MORE (R-Ariz.), questioning whether he could be considered a war "hero" because he was captured. Trump at a press conference on Wednesday said he hoped Russia would release Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonRepublicans seem set to win the midterms — unless they defeat themselves Poll: Democracy is under attack, and more violence may be the future Popping the progressive bubble MORE’s emails if its government had them. His press team later walked back his comments, saying that Trump met the emails should be given to the FBI.
“Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press,” the Republican presidential nominee said at one of his golf courses in Florida.
The defense secretary is among the highest-ranking Democrats to weigh in on Trump’s comments on Wednesday, which have already been sharply condemned by the Clinton campaign.
Russia is believed to be behind a hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that resulted in the release of embarrassing emails on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. The emails showed DNC officials plotting to help Clinton’s presidential campaign and undermine Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt) rival bid.
Panetta also fired off at Trump for a long list of what he described as inflammatory foreign policy moves on the campaign trail. He pointed to Trump’s comments endorsing waterboarding, insulting U.S. allies like China and praising dictators like Saddam Hussein.
“This is no time to roll the dice and gamble with America’s national security or with the American dream,” said the long-time Democratic leader, who has close ties to the Clintons and was first elected to Congress in 1976.
He also highlighted his own roots as an immigrant – a group that Trump has singled out as a national security threat. Panetta’s family arrived in the U.S. from Italy in the 1930s.
- Updated at 9:32 p.m.
