Libertarian presidential nominee wryly suggested that the United States and the Syrian regime share an equal amount of blame in the deaths of civilians.

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When pressed in an interview with The New York Times about whether he thinks there is moral equivalence between U.S. military actions that kill civilians and Bashar Assad's murder of Syrian people, Johnson replied sarcastically, the Times said.

“Well no, of course not — we’re so much better than all that,” he said. “We’re so much better when in Afghanistan, we bomb the hospital and 60 people are killed in the hospital.”

Johnson also said that Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonJoe Biden looks to expand election battleground into Trump country Biden leads Trump by 12 points among Catholic voters: poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden goes on offense MORE's understanding of foreign affairs should not overshadow her policy decisions as secretary of state.

The former governor of New Mexico made headlines in recent weeks after he didn't recognize the name of the Syrian city of Aleppo and couldn't name a foreign leader that he admires.

In defense of his gaffes, Johnson has stated that he does not need to know the nuances of geography in order to have a coherent understanding of international relations.

“Because Hillary Clinton can dot the i’s and cross the t’s on geographic leaders, of the names of foreign leaders ... the underlying fact that hundreds of thousands of people have died in Syria goes by the wayside,” he said in an interview published on Wednesday.



Johnson said the Democratic nominee “bears responsibility for what’s happened, shared responsibility for what’s happened in Syria," adding, "I would not have put us in that situation from the get-go.”

The Times quizzed Johnson, asking him to name the leader of North Korea. Johnson said he did know the man's name, but refused to give it.

Johnson critiqued the tough foreign policy language adopted by both major-party candidates that he believes is a prerequisite for political success in America.



“This is what happens in this country right now — unless you’re willing to say that you’re going to get tough on this stuff, on these atrocities — and these atrocities are horrible — but unless you as a politician are willing to do something about these atrocities then we’re not going to elect you,” Johnson said.