Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson Gary Earl JohnsonWhat the numbers say about Trump's chances at reelection Presidential race tightens in Minnesota as Trump plows resources into state The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden condemns violence, blames Trump for fomenting it l Bitter Mass. primaries reach the end l Super PAC spending set to explode MORE tried to defend his lack of foreign policy knowledge in an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday, saying it could keep troops out of harm's way.

Johnson was pressed on his recent inability to name a foreign leader he admired.

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“You know what? The fact that somebody can dot the I’s and cross the T’s on a foreign leader or a geographic location then allows them to put our military in harm's way,” Johnson responded to host Andrea Mitchell.

Johnson doubled down on that sentiment.

“We elect people who can dot the I’s and cross the T’s on these names and geographic locations, as opposed to the underlying philosophy, which is, Let's stop getting involved in these regime changes,” he said.

In an interview with Chris Matthews last week, Johnson struggled to name a foreign leader he respects.

“I guess I am having an Aleppo moment,” he said, before suggesting “the former president of Mexico.”

When Matthews asked which one, Johnson said he couldn’t remember the leader’s name.

“I am having a brain freeze,” he said.

His running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, stepped in to remind him of Vicente Fox.

Johnson’s “brain freeze” came just weeks after he stunned the hosts of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" by appearing not to know about the humanitarian crisis in the Syrian city of Aleppo.