When it comes to keeping Americans safe from the threat of a terrorist attack, a Washington Post-ABC News Poll released on November 23rd, found that voters trust Hillary Clinton more than any Republican presidential candidate. The survey asked voters who they trusted most “to handle the threat of terrorism,” and regardless of who she was paired up against, American voters answered “Hillary Clinton” every time.
When asked who they trusted more to handle the terrorist threat, Americans chose Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a 50-42 percent margin. Clinton was also preferred over Ben Carson (49-40), Ted Cruz (48-40), Marco Rubio (47-43) and Jeb Bush (46-43).
The Republican candidates have engaged in a lot of tough talking rhetoric about bombing ISIS or shutting America off for Syrian refugees, but their bellicose posturing has not earned them the trust of the American people. Hillary Clinton remains more trusted than the GOP when it comes to confronting the terrorist threat.
For Republicans who have spent the past several years trying to discredit Clinton through the Benghazi hearings and a relentless litany of attacks designed to paint her as weak on security, the poll must be very disconcerting. Fox News, AM talk radio, and Trey Gowdy’s investigative committee, have all failed in their efforts to get Americans to think the Republicans would do a better job than Hillary Clinton at keeping America safe .
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The Republicans will almost certainly continue to try to hammer home the theme that they are the tough guys on the block who can take on the terrorists, and they will no doubt continue to try to portray the Democrats as weak on foreign policy and on protecting the homeland. However, Hillary Clinton is used to those lines of attack, and she is also aware that her steady resolve in the face of those attacks projects the very strength the GOP is desperately trying to say she lacks.
Americans recognize that in dangerous times, Hillary Clinton is a better choice to be commander in chief than any Republican. An endless barrage of GOP attacks against Clinton have been unable to alter that perception. Americans still think Hillary is their best bet for dealing with the threat of terrorism.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
