Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson: What is Aleppo?

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party's candidate for the U.S. presidency, became a subject of criticism and questioning in American media after a television interview on Thursday. In a conversation with MSNBC host Mike Barnicle regarding the refugee crisis in Aleppo, Syria, Johnson stumbled and asked, 'What is Aleppo?' Many are aware that Aleppo is one of the major cities in Syria and currently a site of one of the most intense civil wars in the country, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of its residents, contributing to the Syrian refugee crisis. When asked what he would do about Aleppo if elected president, Johnson paused and asked, 'What is Aleppo?' The dialogue continued briefly: Barnicle: 'Are you joking? Aleppo in Syria is the origin of one of the largest Syrian refugee crises.' Johnson: 'Okay, I understand. I think Syria is in chaos.' The Libertarian candidate shifted the conversation to oppose military intervention in other countries, stating, 'The refugee crisis is actually a result of regime change in that country, which our government supports, and ultimately these kinds of regimes lead to less security for the world.' Johnson expressed that the United States should work with Russia to end the war in Syria. The MSNBC host continued to press Johnson on his mistake, emphasizing that Aleppo is a major concern globally and that the humanitarian crisis, not only throughout Syria but especially in Aleppo, is deeply troubling. He questioned whether Johnson truly believed that foreign policy was so unimportant that a presidential candidate should not know what Aleppo is, where it is, and why it is so significant. Johnson responded, 'No, I understand Aleppo and know there is a crisis there, but when we get involved in military intervention [in such countries] or face humanitarian crises, in many cases, the situation worsens.' Shortly after, Johnson told Bloomberg News that his thoughts were 'extremely confused' and admitted to making a mistake regarding Aleppo. He added that he understands the importance of the issue and is very sorry for his slip-up, asserting that no one takes the matter more seriously than he does and that he must be more vigilant in the future. On Thursday, Johnson unusually issued a press release detailing his mistake, stating that he is also human and makes mistakes. 'I understand the importance and depth of the Syrian crisis and talk about it every day, but the slip in response to the question about 'Aleppo' was a sudden thought of an abbreviation and not the Syrian crisis.' On Thursday, a reporter asked Hillary Clinton about Johnson's mistake, to which she replied, 'Just look at a map regarding Aleppo.'