"With [Hillary Clinton] as our commander in chief, our international relations will not be reduced to a business transaction,” Gen. John Allen said. | Getty Gen. John Allen backs Clinton in hawkish rebuke of Trump

Marching out on stage with dozens of military brass behind him, retired four-star Marine Gen. John Allen delivered a fiery speech Thursday night in support of Hillary Clinton, saying she is "exactly" the commander in chief the country needs.

Allen, who commanded troops in Afghanistan and worked with Clinton when she was secretary of state, gave an impassioned defense of Clinton’s record and, without mentioning him by name, strongly criticized Trump’s remarks on national security.


“I also know that with her as our commander in chief, our international relations will not be reduced to a business transaction,” he said. “I also know that our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture, and they will not be engaged in murder, or carry out other illegal activities.”

Allen, whose speech was interrupted by competing chants of “USA” and “no more war," said Clinton would strengthen, not weaken, the country's key alliances. Trump has been ridiculed for his foreign policy comments, namely suggesting NATO should be disbanded.

Harping on one of her perceived weaknesses, Allen said the military members on the stage trust Clinton's judgment and believe in her vision.

"We believe in her vision of an America as a just and strong leader against the forces of hatred, the forces of chaos and darkness," he said. "We know that she, as no other, knows how to use all instruments of American power, not just the military, to keep us all safe and free."