NBC's Mike Murphy: Trump's “Fly By The Seat Of His Pants” NATO Proposal “Can Be Deadly”

Murphy: “You Can't Have A Casual Commitment To The NATO Security Alliance”

From the July 21 edition of NBC's Today:

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MATT LAUER (CO-HOST): In an interview with The New York Times, when asked what he wants people to take away from this convention, Donald Trump said, and I'm quoting, “The fact that I'm very well liked.” Now, generally speaking isn't it true that a candidate wants people to take away that “I have the vision, I have the policies to take this country forward for the next four or eight years?” What do you make of that comment?

NICOLLE WALLACE: Well, that was an extraordinary interview. And I'm sure we'll be talking about it more in the days to come. He also laid out some really outside the mainstream ideas on foreign policy. I'm told this morning that the candidate will not double down on any of those ideas tonight. Tonight will be about sort of the themes that got him here. But this idea of being liked is what animates his entire candidacy. That's why we heard the first 10 months of his campaign, he'd start by reading out all of the polls, our polls and others. So the problem with the analysis and the problem with that as a strategy is you need to leave being liked by more people than liked you when you got here. And I'm not sure yet if he accomplished that.

MIKE MURPHY: Yeah no, I agree with that. The “me, me, me” school of presidential campaigning has got to end or he's not going to get out of where he's at now. And this NATO thing is equally big. You can't have a casual commitment to the NATO security alliance. Eventually, Donald Trump's going to have to say something serious. The whole fly by the seat of pants thing is showing up in policy now and that can be deadly.

Related:

NY Times: Donald Trump Sets Conditions For Defending NATO Allies Against Attack

Previously:

“NATO RIP”: Journalists Horrified By Trump Waffling On Security Guarantees

Jake Tapper: Trump’s NATO Stance Shows, “Essentially” He Doesn’t Believe The US Is “A Shining City On The Hill”