Trump: Clinton's Syria Policy Will 'Lead To World War Three'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is warning Hillary Clinton's policy on Syria would "lead to World War Three."
Trump told Reuters the former secretary of state calling for a no-fly zone and "safe zones" on the ground would escalate the conflict in the war-torn country, especially with Russia backing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war.
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"What we should do is focus on ISIS. We should not be focusing on Syria," Trump explained to Reuters. "You're going to end up in World War Three over Syria if we listen to Hillary Clinton."
Trump continued, "You're not fighting Syria any more, you're fighting Syria, Russia and Iran, all right? Russia is a nuclear country, but a country where the nukes work as opposed to other countries that talk."
Trump added that Assad is stronger now than when the war started three years ago and that the U.S. should be focusing on ISIS, not taking Assad out of power.
"Assad is secondary, to me, to ISIS," Trump said.
CBS2's Dick Brennan reports that during a rally in Florida on Tuesday, Trump also talked about repealing the Affordable Care Act following news that millions of Americans will be seeing a huge increase in their Obamacare premiums and a decrease in choices.
"My first day in office, I'm going to ask Congress to put a bill on my desk getting rid of this disastrous law, and replacing it with reforms that expand choice," Trump said.
The government said the cost of the mid-level health plants next year will increase by an average of 25 percent and that will hit consumers in 39 states.
"The rates are going through the sky. We all knew that, I knew for a long time," Trump said.
Roughly 57 percent of Florida's vote is expected to come from early voting, and 1.2 million ballots have already been cast. Trump needs to win back so called Republican hold-backs.
"He's still got this 20 percent of Republicans, I call them the reluctant Republicans, largely women, largely suburban women," said Anthony Salvanto, director of polling for CBS News.
Clinton's campaign said she has a plan to make health insurance more affordable. She was also stumping in Florida where early voting is underway.
"I want you to have confidence that we're gonna work every day to implement the plans that we've put forth," Clinton said.
She also heard from the crowd cries of "happy birthday" as she turns 69 on Wednesday.
Republican and former Secretary of State Colin Powell said he will endorse Clinton. Powell endorsed President Barack Obama previously, and Trump has been very critical of the roll-up to the Iraq war.
