Donald Trump will make America lead again

Rep. Ryan Zinke’s speech at the 2016 GOP Convention

I’m honored to be sharing a stage with Senator Ernst, Jason Beardsley, and these distinguished fellow veterans.

What a circle of honor. I proudly represent the state of Montana in the House.

Before being elected to Congress, I spent 23 years as a U. S. Navy SEAL, and was a commander at SEAL Team Six.

When my daughter was growing up, I told her two things: Don’t join the Navy and never marry a SEAL. She ignored me and did both.

Ever heard of a place called Gitmo? Let’s just say that I’m personally acquainted with many of the individuals now experiencing those accommodations.

We heard from Marcus Luttrell. Ever hear of Chris Kyle, Rob O’Neill, Glenn Doherty and Ty Woods? I had the privilege of working with Marcus and these other American heroes. I mentored many more whose names you will never know.

Success as a Navy SEAL depends on three factors.

The first is teamwork. You need to know with certainty the guy behind you literally has your back.

The second is training. Warfighters going into dangerous places need the skills, expertise, and the rules of engagement to complete no-fail missions.

Lastly: Never Quit.

Without teamwork, training, and never quitting, successful missions, like the one that killed Osama Bin Laden, aren’t possible.

And, when we don’t do things right in dangerous situations, bad things happen.

In January, Army Green Beret Matthew McClintock lost his life in Afghanistan, when his unit came under heavy Taliban fire.

Commanders on the ground requested air support. None came.

This tragedy represents the weakness we have come to expect from armchair quarterbacks Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Senator Ernst ably described Hillary Clinton’s leadership failures. But the buck stops with the president.

For President Obama, being popular is more important than being Commander in Chief.

He abandoned Iraq. He drew a red line in Syria and then refused to enforce it.

He reached a naïve nuclear arms agreement with Iran — a country where people chant “Death to America” in the street.

He watched passively as China and Russia filled the international leadership vacuum he created.

The world knows our president is weak, and that his anointed successor, the architect of Benghazi, is no better.

Together Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton brought us ISIS and brought down Benghazi. I shudder to think what she will bring if she is sitting in the Oval Office.

I have been to too many funerals. Casualties are inevitable in war. But the lives of Sergeant McClintock and four Americans in Benghazi could have been saved with leadership in the White House.

Donald Trump isn’t afraid to talk about radical Islamic terrorism, and he won’t be afraid to destroy it.

We need a Commander in Chief who will support our troops rather than abandon them in Benghazi.

We need a Commander in Chief who will put veterans in front of the line rather than let them die in line

And we need a Commander in Chief who will stand with Israel rather than fund Iranian rockets that attack Israel.

It’s time to rally behind our troops. It’s time to rally behind our nominee. Donald Trump will make America lead again.

Thank you!