But neither of the two — who represent different foreign policy approaches within the party — has said if he will endorse Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump met with Mr. Kissinger and Mr. Baker several months ago, and “I came away with a lot of knowledge,” he told The New York Times in a July 20 interview. The letter underscores the continuing rupture in the Republican Party, but particularly within its national security establishment. And many of the aides who signed the letter were active in developing the plan to invade Iraq or managing its aftermath, which Mr. Trump has described as a “disaster.”A spokeswoman for Mr. Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Robert Blackwill and James Jeffrey, two key strategists in Mr. Bush’s National Security Council, and William H. Taft IV, a former deputy secretary of defense and ambassador to NATO, also signed.

Source: New York Times August 08, 2016 18:08 UTC