Trump vows to shake off US foreign policy 'rust' in address

WASHINGTON (AP) — Moving closer to the Republican nomination, Donald Trump today turned to the global affairs a new commander in chief must face, assailing likely November rival Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama as usual, but in a more measured "presidential" tone.

The brash businessman's ability – or inability – to believably master that role has been seen as one of his biggest vulnerabilities as the potential Republican standard-bearer.

"Our goal is peace and prosperity, not war and destruction," he declared. "The best way to achieve those goals is through a disciplined, deliberate and consistent foreign policy. With President Obama and Secretary Clinton we have had the exact opposite – a reckless, rudderless and aimless foreign policy."

Trump delivered the address a day after sweeping five Northeast primaries, bringing him tantalizingly close to securing the Republican presidential nomination against rivals Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. In his speech, he criticized Democratic front-runner Clinton anew for her handling of the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. He dismissed President Barack Obama's foreign policy as steeped in weakness and chaos.

Clinton, who served as Obama's secretary of state, emerged from Tuesday's primaries with 90 percent of the delegates needed to claim the Democratic nomination, putting her in an even stronger position against rival Bernie Sanders.

Trump's speech offered an early glimpse of how he would seek to undermine Clinton's experience in foreign policy and assure Republicans who are wary of his ability to provide a steady hand in leading the nation's interests around the globe and overseeing the U.S. nuclear capability and military.

"It's time to shake the rust off America's foreign policy. It's time to invite new voices and new visions into the fold," Trump said.