SAN DIEGO - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday issued a five-point national security plan during her campaign's first visit to San Diego, and said electing presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would be a "historic mistake."
"I believe he will take our country down a truly dangerous path," Clinton said in a 35-minute speech in Balboa Park, just five days before California's primary election. Among other things, she said Trump picks fights with allies while praising dictators, and claims to know more about the Islamic State than U.S. military leaders.
In contrast, her policies would be to make the U.S. strong at home, maintain ties with allied nations, use diplomacy to defuse problems before they grow, be firm with rival leaders and develop a "real plan" to deal with terrorists, she said.
She attacked Trump on each point, contending that the billionaire real estate magnate doesn't have a plan, experience or leadership ability.
"This isn't reality television -- this is actual reality," said Clinton, also a former first lady and senator.
She said carrying out "a smart and principaled" foreign policy was one way to honor the sacrifices of servicemen and women who died for the country.
Trump, who spoke in San Diego Friday, tweeted: "Crooked Hillary no longer has credibility - too much failure in office. People will not allow another four years of incompetence!" A later tweet criticized what he described as a poor performance reading from a Teleprompter.
Before the speech was delivered, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus issued a statement criticizing Clinton.
"There isn't a more flawed messenger on national security issues than Hillary Clinton, who as Obama's secretary of state helped turn Libya into a jihadist playground, spearheaded the dangerous nuclear deal with Iran and secretly called for bringing terrorists from Guantanamo onto U.S. soil," he said.
Clinton's speech came one day after she called Trump a "fraud" in Newark, New Jersey, for taking advantage of Americans through Trump University. Trump countered with a speech in Sacramento saying Clinton has "no natural talent" and was "one of the worst secretaries of state in history."
Trump is scheduled to speak Thursday night in San Jose. Clinton's opponent in the race for the Democratic nomination, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, is scheduled to speak at rallies in Modesto and Chico.
Following the San Diego event, Clinton is scheduled to attend a "Get Out the Vote" rally in El Centro and visit community leaders in Perris in Riverside County.
