Johnson aide: ‘Most Americans’ would have a hard time naming a foreign leader

Gary Johnson’s campaign manager is defending the Libertarian presidential nominee after Johnson was unable to name a foreign leader that he admires. 

{mosads}“Yes, asked to name a favorite foreign leader, Gov. Johnson didn’t quickly name a specific favorite,” Ron Nielson wrote in a Facebook post late Wednesday. “That really doesn’t mean much. Most Americans and certainly most political candidates would have to stop and think before responding, with the possible exception of a Donald Trump who is enthralled by Putin.”

When asked earlier Wednesday during an MSNBC town hall interview to name a leader of a foreign country that he likes, Johnson said he was having an “Aleppo moment.” He then offered the “former president of Mexico,” but he struggled to come up with a name.

Nielson said that the ensuing criticism is evidence that supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are worried about Johnson’s White House bid.

“Why are the #ClinTrump supporters and political insiders so afraid of Gary Johnson?” Nielson asked. “Hillary Clinton is spending millions to stop Gary. I guess when they see an outsider showing strength among millennials, independents, Hispanics, the active military and the LGBT communities, they get nervous.”