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Donald Trump Vows to Bolster Nation’s Military Capacities Donald Trump Vows to Bolster Nation’s Military Capacities
(about 4 hours later)
PHILADELPHIA — Lamenting the shrinking size of the United States military, Donald J. Trump warned Wednesday that America’s adversaries were preparing to capitalize on perceptions of American weakness around the world and vowed to bolster the nation’s military capabilities and defense spending. PHILADELPHIA — Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for a vast expansion of the military, including 90,000 new soldiers for the Army and nearly 75 new ships for the Navy, requiring up to $90 billion a year in additional spending.
“Our adversaries are chomping at the bit,” Mr. Trump said in a speech here at the Union League of Philadelphia. “We want to deter, avoid and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military strength.” But Mr. Trump did not match those numbers with details about how the country would raise the money, other than a promise to take steps like reducing wasteful spending, which military budget analysts said would be insufficient.
The speech, which Mr. Trump delivered with the aid of teleprompters, signified yet another effort by his campaign to refocus the Republican nominee on critiques of Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival, and to demonstrate to voters that he can lay out detailed policy prescriptions to problems confronting the nation. It also seemed to be directed at the conservative foreign policy establishment, coming a day after Mr. Trump released a letter from about 90 retired military officials endorsing his campaign. Mr. Trump, in a speech at the Union League of Philadelphia, also vowed to order the military to devise a new plan to defeat the Islamic State “immediately upon taking office.” The plan would come within 30 days from “my generals,” he added, without mentioning that those generals are the same ones who came up with the current strategy, which they believe is working.
Espousing a foreign policy “tempered by realism,” Mr. Trump portrayed Mrs. Clinton, the former secretary of state, as unsuited to lead the nation’s armed forces. The speech was the latest effort by Mr. Trump’s campaign to demonstrate to voters that he can lay out detailed policy prescriptions to problems confronting the nation. It also seemed to be directed at the conservative foreign policy establishment, coming a day after Mr. Trump released a letter from about 90 retired military officials endorsing his campaign.
He lamented the shrinking of the military and warned that enemies were preparing to capitalize on perceptions of American weakness around the world. “Our adversaries are chomping at the bit,” Mr. Trump said. “We want to deter, avoid and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military strength.”
With the speech, Mr. Trump also moved to refocus his campaign on critiques of Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival. Espousing a foreign policy “tempered by realism,” Mr. Trump portrayed Mrs. Clinton, the former secretary of state, as unsuited to lead the nation’s armed forces.
“Unlike my opponent, my foreign policy will emphasize diplomacy, not destruction,” Mr. Trump said. “Hillary Clinton’s legacy in Iraq, Libya, Syria has produced only turmoil and suffering and death.”“Unlike my opponent, my foreign policy will emphasize diplomacy, not destruction,” Mr. Trump said. “Hillary Clinton’s legacy in Iraq, Libya, Syria has produced only turmoil and suffering and death.”
Describing Mrs. Clinton as “reckless” and “totally unfit to be our commander in chief,” Mr. Trump questioned her fitness for the Oval Office, turning the tables on a frequent line of attack from his Democratic rival. But it was the size of the military, and the amount that the United States spends on its defense, that lay at the heart of Mr. Trump’s speech. In addition to increasing the Army to 540,000 soldiers and adding the Navy ships, Mr. Trump proposed buying dozens of new fighter aircraft for the Air Force.
“Sometimes it seemed like there wasn’t a country in the Middle East that Hillary Clinton didn’t want to invade, intervene in, or topple,” he said. “She’s trigger-happy and very unstable.” To pay for the expansion, Mr. Trump said he would call on Congress to reverse the cuts to military spending made as part of the budget sequester in 2013, which was the result of a compromise reached between Democrats and Republicans.
Mr. Trump proposed bolstering the size of the Army and the Marine Corps, adding ships and submarines to the Navy, and investing in new fighter planes for the Air Force. He said he would end the caps on military spending, or sequester, that were imposed after the 2011 debt ceiling battle, adding that the additional spending would be offset through “common sense reforms” in other areas of government and by paring down military bureaucracy. But he did not offer specifics. The new spending, Mr. Trump said, would not cost taxpayers an additional penny. He said he would eliminate wasteful government spending, increase energy production and trim the federal work force, including the military bureaucracy. He also suggested that he would collect unpaid taxes, which he said amounted to $385 billion.
“As soon as I take office, I will ask Congress to fully eliminate the defense sequester and will submit a new budget to rebuild our military,” he said. Asked about the plan, Todd Harrison, a military budget expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, “Good luck.”
The Clinton campaign fought back after the speech by touting the endorsement of more retired generals and admirals, saying Mrs. Clinton had gotten greater support “than any non-incumbent Democrat due to her proven record of diplomacy and steady leadership on the world stage.” “Everyone comes in saying they want to reduce wasteful spending,” Mr. Harrison said. “Folks have tried that again and again, and they have largely not been successful.”
Mr. Trump’s call for ending the sequester on military spending is unlikely to gain traction in the nation’s capital. Republicans have long pushed for lifting these limits — a proposal Democrats will consider only with comparable relief on the domestic spending side. Although Mr. Trump said little about how much his plan would cost, the new military spending would probably amount to $80 billion to $90 billion a year, experts said. The additional soldiers alone would cost around $9 billion.
And on Tuesday night, in a sign of the likely stalemate, Senate Democrats filibustered a defense appropriations bill because it would have allowed for bursting through the caps on military spending without also doing the same for domestic spending. Mr. Trump’s call for ending the sequester on military spending is unlikely to gain traction in Washington. Republicans have long pushed for lifting these limits — a proposal Democrats will consider only with comparable relief on domestic spending.
Mr. Trump’s remarks came before the Republican nominee was to appear Wednesday night at a so-called commander in chief forum, televised from the Intrepid ship and maritime history museum in New York and focused on security and veterans issues. Mr. Trump is scheduled to be questioned after Mrs. Clinton. And on Tuesday night, in a sign of the likely stalemate, Senate Democrats filibustered a military appropriations bill because it would have allowed for bursting through the caps on military spending without also doing the same for domestic spending.
In a foreign policy speech in April, Mr. Trump offered much the same thrust as in Wednesday’s address — presenting an at times paradoxical approach of using fiery oratory to promise a military buildup and the immediate destruction of the Islamic State while also rejecting the nation-building and interventionist instincts of George W. Bush’s administration. Mr. Trump’s remarks came before he was to appear Wednesday night at a Commander in Chief Forum televised from the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York and focused on security and veterans issues. Mr. Trump was questioned after Mrs. Clinton.
Earlier on Wednesday, he described Mrs. Clinton as “reckless” and “totally unfit to be our commander in chief.”
Mr. Trump was turning the tables on a frequent line of attack from Mrs. Clinton and trying to lay the blame for the bloodshed in the Middle East at her feet, a critique that most experts have said is grossly oversimplified and misleading.
“Sometimes it seemed like there wasn’t a country in the Middle East that Hillary Clinton didn’t want to invade, intervene in or topple,” he said. “She’s trigger-happy and very unstable.”
The Clinton campaign fought back after the speech by highlighting the endorsement of more retired generals and admirals, saying Mrs. Clinton had gotten greater support “than any non-incumbent Democrat due to her proven record of diplomacy and steady leadership on the world stage.”
In a foreign policy speech in April, Mr. Trump offered much the same thrust as in Wednesday’s address — presenting an at times paradoxical approach of using fiery oratory to promise a military buildup and the immediate destruction of the Islamic State, while also rejecting the nation-building and interventionist instincts of George W. Bush’s administration.
Mr. Trump also echoed other themes that he has used during his campaign, calling on allies to pay more for American military protection.Mr. Trump also echoed other themes that he has used during his campaign, calling on allies to pay more for American military protection.
“Early in my term, I will also be requesting that all NATO nations promptly pay their bills,” he said. “Only five NATO countries, including the United States, are currently meeting their minimum requirements to spend 2 percent of G.D.P. on defense.”“Early in my term, I will also be requesting that all NATO nations promptly pay their bills,” he said. “Only five NATO countries, including the United States, are currently meeting their minimum requirements to spend 2 percent of G.D.P. on defense.”
But Mr. Trump was otherwise vague on the specifics of how he would pay for his goal of building the Army to about 540,000 active troops; expanding the Navy to roughly 350 surface ships and submarines; and increasing the size of the Air Force to at least 1,200 fighter aircraft.
He said he would “make government leaner and more responsive to the public,” and suggested reducing the size of the federal government through “responsible workforce attrition.”
He also accused the Obama administration of agreeing to bad deals with Iran.He also accused the Obama administration of agreeing to bad deals with Iran.
“Our president lied to us,” Mr. Trump said of President Obama, saying the nuclear deal with Iran put the country “on a path to nuclear weapons.”“Our president lied to us,” Mr. Trump said of President Obama, saying the nuclear deal with Iran put the country “on a path to nuclear weapons.”
Mr. Trump claimed that the United States has released $150 billion dollars to Iran. He failed to point out that the money came from Iranian assets frozen by the United States and released under the terms of the deal to limit Tehran’s nuclear program. But Mr. Trump’s fiercest criticism was saved for Mrs. Clinton. He accused her of being complicit in an array of foreign policy stumbles, and of deleting her emails as secretary of state to hide her participation in a “pay for play” scandal in which Clinton Foundation donors were granted special access.
But Mr. Trump’s fiercest criticism was saved for Mrs. Clinton. He accused her of being complicit in an array of foreign policy stumbles, and of deleting her emails as secretary of state to hide her participation in a “pay for play” scandal of granting access to Clinton Foundation donors. He also batted away the questions that she has raised about his temperament, claiming that she is the one who is erratic. Damning his rival with false praise, Mr. Trump — in one of his speech’s biggest applause lines — also said that maybe Mrs. Clinton did have some wisdom to impart.
“She’s also reckless — so reckless, in fact, that she put her emails on an illegal server than our enemies could easily hack and probably have,” he said.
Noting that Mrs. Clinton has been in politics for decades, he added, “She doesn’t have a clue.”
Damning his rival with faux praise, Mr. Trump — in one of his speech’s biggest applause lines — also said that maybe Mrs. Clinton did, in fact, have at least some wisdom to impart.
“Hillary Clinton has taught us really how vulnerable we are in cyberhacking,” he said. “It’s probably the only thing that we’ve learned from Hillary Clinton.”“Hillary Clinton has taught us really how vulnerable we are in cyberhacking,” he said. “It’s probably the only thing that we’ve learned from Hillary Clinton.”