In something of a campaign tradition, Donald Trump was quizzed Thursday on his knowledge of terrorist leaders and other figures around the world, and the Republican front-runner showed he needs to study up.
In an interview on Thursday with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump was clearly stumped when asked about Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
When Hewitt identified Soleimani as a Quds leader, Trump mistook the Quds, a paramilitary force, for the Kurds, a Middle Eastern ethnic group.
“The Kurds, by the way, have been horribly mistreated,” Trump interjected.
“No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forces,” said Hewitt, correcting Trump.
As the interview moved on, Trump again noted that he thought Hewitt said “Kurds.”
Hewitt asked whether Trump believes Soleimani’s behavior will change now that the U.S. has struck a deal with Iran over its nuclear capabilities, the real estate mogul sidestepped the question and repeated his opposition to the agreement.
“I think that Iran right now is in the driver’s seat to do whatever they want to do. I think what’s happening with Iran is, I think it’s one of the — I assume you saw the news conference,” said Trump, referring to a comment he had made Thursday.
GOP contender Carly Fiorina also answered Hewitt’s questions
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, which Hewitt said she had no knowledge of, much more competently, though did admit to at times confusing the names of the foreign leaders and organizations.>Try your hand at Hewitt’s questions for Trump and other candidates with our quiz.
Trump is hardly the first presidential contender to get tripped up by a name of a foreign leader. Such questions have become almost predictable rites of passage for White House aspirants.
George W. Bush famously bombed a pop quiz on the names of the leaders of India, Pakistan, Taiwan and Chechnya in 1999.
Hillary Rodham Clinton botched the name of the soon-to-be Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2008. Or as Clinton said, ” “Meh, uhm, Me-ned-vadah — whatever.”
Herman Cain may have the most memorable line when he declared he would not be pulled into “gotcha” questions about the “president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan. “
Trump eventually seemed to recognize Soleimani as the figure who reportedly met recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin, violating an international travel ban.
Hewitt, who will help moderate the Sept. 16 GOP debate in Simi Valley, told Trump he wasn’t interested in gotcha questions, but does want a commander in chief who is able to identify terrorist leaders.
“On the front of the Islamist terrorism, I’m looking for the next commander in chief to know who Hassan Nasrallah is, Zawahiri, al-Baghdadi. Do you know the players without a score card, yet, Donald Trump,” Hewitt said.
“No, you know, I’ll tell you honestly, I think by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed,” Trump said. “They’ll be all gone. I knew you were going to ask me things like this, and there’s no reason, because No. 1, I’ll find, I will hopefully find Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the pack.”