After serving in the U.S. Senate for four terms, people often ask me about how I think about this coming Presidential election. My answer: in a troubled world with lots of moving parts including multiple major wars and danger zones from the Middle East to Ukraine to Sudan to North Korea as well as nine nuclear weapon states, I will cast my vote primarily on national security concerns. While there are critical domestic policy decisions ahead, there are many checks and balances on these issues, including Congress and the courts. In foreign policy, the Executive Branch shapes our engagement in the world and the power of the Presidency is enormous, including the singular capacity to use nuclear weapons. 

Effective national security leadership requires a president with a steady temperament, alongside wise and experienced advisors. Those selected for key positions like the Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, CIA Director, Attorney General, Secretary of State, to name a few, will determine the quality of American leadership in the world for the next four years with long enduring implications.

During my quarter of a century in the Senate, I have seen some top-notch key cabinet officials........

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