Peach Tree Times

Although they play on the same Republican team, the views of two leading candidates for Georgia's 9th Congressional District differ when it comes to international relations, according to a foreign policy analyst.

Robert Knee, who holds a Master's Degree from the Institute of World Politics, views State Rep. Matt Gurtler as a constitution-based foreign policy Republican, while Andrew Clyde is a moderate neo-conservative.

“Gurtler desires to reign in the executive branch with legislative oversight when it comes to combat,” Knee told the Peach Tree Times. “Clyde wants to continue the War Powers Act, which allows for U.S. Presidents to commit troops to armed combat without consent of Congress.”

The War Powers Act is federal law enacted under President Richard Nixon in 1973.

“President Trump has made it clear with his decisions in Syria that he is not interested in getting bogged down in forever wars in the Middle East especially when we've got China on the rise,” Knee said in an interview. “Gurtler parallels President Trump almost identically.”

While Clyde supports building a border wall as a way to stop illegal immigration, according to his website, he also ran a TV commercial attacking Gurtler's stance on war and foreign policy.

“Andrew Clyde criticized Matt Gurtler as somebody who had never served in a war and I've got nothing but respect for people that served in the military but that doesn't dismiss the nature of the threat that's posed by a power grab from the executive,” said Knee who studied at Oxford University. “This is a once in a generation fight for the United States, for the constitution and our constitutional integrity.”

President Trump's foreign policy agenda has included shifting from low-intensity combat in places like the Middle East to peer-to-peer rivalry against serious national security threats like China, according to Knee.

“Based on the strategy Gurtler’s putting forward, he appears to view China as a prime security threat as well and wants to focus America’s resources on that threat,” Knee said. “With all of this Middle East military action that Clyde wants to engage in, it's unclear how he advocates having enough of the force structure necessary to deal with China.”

President Trump signed an executive order on June 1, 2020 that suspends entry to the U.S. from China for certain students and researchers, while permitting others residing in America to be expelled as a policy to protect American interests by keeping sensitive American technology and intellectual property in America.

Like President Trump, who tweeted he wants to bring military troops home from policing Afghanistan, Gurtler advocates for an "America First" foreign policy.

“I stand with Trump and will advocate for the same policies,” Gurtler posted on Facebook May 27. “Let's honor the commitment of our military!”

Gurtler, a business owner, has represented Georgia's 8th House District since 2017. Andrew Clyde, also a business owner, served in the military.

“The founding fathers were the smartest men that ever lived and they designed this flawless system of government,” said Knee. “We need to take heed of their advice that will return our country to a constitutionally-based foreign policy with the necessary oversight of the executive branch because that's what's going to make America the strongest.”