Governor Terry Branstad.
Governor Terry Branstad this morning said “we’re living in a dangerous world” and his party’s presidential candidates should stop insulting one another and pivot to debating policy. Last week Donald Trump and Ted Cruz began a war of words over their wives.
“I think it’s not a good situation to have personal attacks,” Branstad said today during his weekly news conference. “I think the focus ought to be on the substance of the issues.”
Branstad cited Sunday’s bombing of Christians celebrating Easter in Pakistan as well as terrorist attacks in Boston, California and Tennessee and the governor said this is no time to ignore the “viciousness” of recent attacks of terrorism.
“These are precarious times,” Branstad said.
Branstad hopes to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention this summer where the GOP’s presidential nominee will be chosen. In January. Branstad said he wanted Ted Cruz to lose the Iowa Caucuses. Today, Branstad was asked whether he was comfortable with Trump being the person in charge of U.S. foreign policy.
“I don’t want to pick a fight with anybody,” Branstad said. “I instead want to do all I can as an individual American to support a change in leadership that’s going to restore America’s leadership in the world, improve our public safety and get our financial house in order.”
The Republican governor criticized President Obama for sticking to his scheduled visit to Cuba after last week’s attacks in Brussels. Branstad said the president should have flown back to the U.S. to “reassure the American people” that everything’s being done to coordinator security with the Europeans.