NEWS

Brain freeze? Gary Johnson can't name favorite world leader

Josh Lederman and Patrick Mairs
The Associated Press
In this Sept. 3, 2016 photo, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson speaks during a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa. Johnson had another self-described “Aleppo moment” on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, after he couldn’t come up with a name when asked by MSNBC host Chris Matthews who his favorite foreign leader is.

WASHINGTON — Call it a brain freeze or another "Aleppo moment," but Gary Johnson has stumbled again in his quixotic presidential campaign.

The third-party candidate, in a television appearance Wednesday, was unable to produce the name of a single foreign leader he respected. Prodded to come up with something, he finally settled on a former president of Mexico — but couldn't recall his name.

"I guess I'm having an Aleppo moment," Johnson said, referencing an episode earlier this month in which he ridiculed when he came up blank when questioned about the besieged city that has become a focal point of Syria's civil war.

Johnson's latest misstep played out during an extraordinary and awkward 50 seconds of live television on MSNBC, where Johnson and running mate William Weld were appearing in a town hall. Host Chris Matthews ticked through a list of regions, hoping to jog the Libertarian Party candidate's memories, but to no avail.

"You've got to do this," Matthews said. "Anywhere, any continent: Canada, Mexico, Europe, over there, Asia, South America, Africa. Name a foreign leader that you respect."

Johnson hung his head slightly — "I'm having a brain freeze" — before Weld came to his rescue, offering the names of three former Mexican presidents. Johnson settled quickly on Vicente Fox, calling him "terrific" before Weld named his own favorite foreign leader: German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

As the slip-up ricocheted on social media, Johnson took to Twitter on Thursday in an apparent attempt to poke a bit of fun at himself.

"It's been almost 24 hours," Johnson wrote, "and I still can't come up with a foreign leader I look up to."

Johnson's candidacy has attracted interest from members of both major parties who say they're dismayed about their choices this year of Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton. Still, Johnson has been polling in the single digits — most voters say they don't know who he is — and his struggles on foreign policy haven't helped his image.