DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 29 (UPI) — Libertarian nominee for president Gary Johnson couldn’t come up with the name of a foreign leaders he respects in an awkward moment during an MSNBC interview Wednesday night.
The gaffe happened when Hardball host Chris Matthews asked Johnson to “name one foreign leader that you respect and look up to.”
Johnson, appearing with running mate William Weld, said, “I guess I’m having an Aleppo moment,” referring to his previous embarrassing moment on MSNBC when he didn’t appear to know about the war-torn city in Syria.
When Johnson made the joke about going blank, Matthews put the pressure on.
“Well, name anybody,” Matthews said.
Johnson struggled to finally name former Mexican president Vicente Fox, with a little help from Weld, who is a former nominee for ambassador to Mexico.
Johnson said “Fox, he was terrific.”
Campaign spokesman Joe Hunter later tried to deflate the moment.
“Nothing happened. He couldn’t think of any ‘favorites’ because he really doesn’t have any,” Hunter told POLITICO. “The gotcha crowd is pouncing, predictably. It was a fair question, but tough to answer off the top of one’s head.”
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