Clinton fires back

Clinton camp fires back: We have 95 retired general, admiral endorsements

By Nick Gass

A day after Donald Trump unveiled a list of 88 retired generals and admirals endorsing his candidacy against Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state's campaign fired back with an even longer list of 95.

The endorsements, all but six of which were unveiled before Wednesday, come hours before both Clinton and Trump will go before the Commander-in-Chief Forum in New York City. In its release unveiling the longer list, the Clinton campaign declared that Trump "lacks the knowledge, stability and values" to be commander in chief, noting that Trump has received a comparatively paltry 88 endorsements to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney's 500.

Retired Air Force Gen. Lloyd "Fig" Newton, one of the officials announcing his endorsement Wednesday, said in a statement that he felt a "moral imperative to come forth and endorse" Clinton for president, "[g]iven the challenges we face around the world today" as well as the "rhetoric we are hearing from some at home."

Newton, who the Clinton campaign noted as a four-star general and the first African-American Thunderbird pilot, characterized his decision as above partisan politics.

"This is not about Democrat or Republican, this is about who is best qualified to lead the country in this complex world we live in," Newton said in the statement. "Hillary Clinton is the only candidate that has the experience, temperament, critical thinking and level-headed leadership to keep America safe and our partnerships strong. She has my vote in November."