Joe Scarborough rips Gary Johnson as 'unqualified to be president' after Aleppo gaffe

Gary Johnson was taken to task for his remarks on Aleppo.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson raised eyebrows and dropped jaws Thursday when he asked the hosts of Morning Joe what Aleppo was in response to a question about his policy on Syria.

While Mike Barnicle responded with, "You're kidding," Joe Scarborough was even harsher. "My god, can you believe it?" he asked the other hosts following the commercial break. Scarborough added that Johnson is "unqualified to be the president of the United States" due to his "stunning" ignorance about Aleppo.

Johnson, for his part, has canceled some of his other scheduled television appearances on Thursday, The New York Times reports. "I'm incredibly frustrated with myself," he told MSNBC after his Morning Joe appearance. "I have to get smarter and that's just part of the process."

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Johnson would need to poll at 15 percent to make it onto the debate stage beside Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump; as of four days ago, he was polling at 10 percent, according to Pew.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.