Insisting he had “real experience," former Gov. Jim Gilmore, R-Va., took his underdog bid for the GOP presidential nomination to Orlando on Saturday, reminding Florida Republicans that he led the Old Dominion during 9/11.
Speaking at the Republican Party of Florida’s (RPOF) Sunshine Summit, Gilmore noted the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday and compared them to the 9/11 attacks. Taking listeners back to 2001, Gilmore noted there were other terrorist attacks besides those launched against the World Trade Center.
“I learned the second state attacked that day was Virginia,” Gilmore said, reminding listeners that the Pentagon was in Virginia. “My job as chief executive was to deal with that crisis. I suddenly became a war governor.
“I was chief executive of a state in crisis,” Gilmore added. “That is experience, real experience.”
Gilmore stressed his service in the Army, including his work on intelligence during the Cold War. Calling out a fellow dark horse, Gilmore called on U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, to end his ad billing himself as the only veteran in the race.
The former Virginia governor went through his resume before turning his focus to immigration. Gilmore went after businessman Donald Trump.
“We as a Republican Party seem to be on the attack against Latinos,” Gilmore said, before accusing Trump of ignoring the Constitution by looking to end birthright citizenship.
“This is fascist talk, it is unworthy of the great Republican Party,” Gilmore said.
Turing to foreign policy, Gilmore insisted radical Islam was a major threat to the nation and vowed, if elected, to oppose it, to “be resolute” against it.
Gilmore slammed President Barack Obama’s handling of the war on terror.
“Our president has failed,” Gimore said. “Weakness is provocative and Paris is only the beginning.”
The former Virginia governor ripped Obama and former U.S. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, the favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination, on foreign affairs, generating applause when he said she was “disqualified” to serve as president.
Warning it was no time for “inexperienced amateurs” in the White House, Gilmore urged Florida Republicans to back him and spread the word about his effort.
Gilmore chaired the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction which presented reports to both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush from 1999-2003. Gilmore led the Republican National Committee (RNC) but often clashed with the Bush White House.
Since his single term in Richmond, Gilmore has made two unsuccessful bids for federal office. In April 2007, Gilmore entered the Republican presidential primaries but pulled the plug on his bid less than three months later due to fundraising difficulties. In the 2008 election cycle, Gilmore turned his focus to running for the U.S. Senate after John Warner announced he was retiring. Conservatives came close to denying Gilmore the Republican nomination at the state convention and, in the general election, the former governor was trounced by Democrat Mark Warner, losing 65 percent to 34 percent.
Since then, Gilmore has remained active in political affairs, serving as president and CEO of the conservative Free Congress Foundation and working on homeland security issues. Gilmore sits on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association (NRA), something he noted to applause on Saturday.
Gilmore offered a folksy opening, noting he had been confused up in New Hampshire with former Gov. Martin O’Malley, D-Mary., a dark horse for the Democratic nomination.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
