Trump: Military more important than balanced budget

[mystery-ak]

Trump: Military more important than balanced budget
By Max Greenwood - 01/26/17 08:38 PM EST

President Trump will look to prioritize military spending over balancing the federal budget, he told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview aired on Thursday.

“So a balanced budget is fine,” Trump said. “But sometimes you have to fuel the well in order to really get the economy going. And we have to take care of our military. Our military is more important to me than a balanced budget. Because we'll get there with a balanced budget.”

“I want a balanced budget eventually,” he added. “But I want to have a strong military. To me that's much more important than anything.”

more
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/316432-trump-military-more-important-than-balanced-budget

[LMAO]

So looks like trillion dollar deficits will be all the rage again. All assuming Congress goes along, of course

[jmyrlefuller]

So looks like trillion dollar deficits will be all the rage again. All assuming Congress goes along, of course

The man lost a billion dollars in 1995 on his own. It's not like we didn't see this coming.

[Victoria33]

I hope Trump is not president much longer, hopefully less than two years, but I hope less than one year.  I have already posted why he may not be. He is a conflagration every single day, out of control and that will never stop.

[Wingnut]

I hope Trump is not president much longer, hopefully less than two years, but I hope less than one year.  I have already posted why he may not be. He is a conflagration every single day, out of control and that will never stop.

I hope he never stops also.   

[montanajoe]

I've often said the WOT is the Number 1 issue facing this country. I have been finding myself agreeing with Trump on Defense issues..who woulda thunk it.., if he follows through I will be pleasantly surprised, but I must admit I'm skeptical, he seems to be stuck in campaign mode trying to please everyone..time will tell

[DCPatriot]

I hope he never stops also.

 

[HonestJohn]

Honestly, this sounds very much like the Democrat complaint that Republicans only care about deficits when Democrats have control of the Presidency.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

JMO but I agree, a strong military is more important than a balanced budget.

[DCPatriot]

JMO but I agree, a strong military is more important than a balanced budget.

...especially given the current state of the world (as described by the mainstream media)   

[LMAO]

The man lost a billion dollars in 1995 on his own. It's not like we didn't see this coming.

Trump seems to feel we can tax, borrow, and print ourselves into prosperity

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

If America is truly an American first country now, and Bannon and Flynn want "fortress america", then why do we need a strong military? Are Canada and Mexico that much of a threat?


Didn't Trump want our allies to pull their weight?



As usual, Trump is all over the place on several sides of the same issue.

[jmyrlefuller]

JMO but I agree, a strong military is more important than a balanced budget.

...especially given the current state of the world (as described by the mainstream media)   

So, how do we pay for it? Do you think we can continue on this Obama-like deficit spending plan forever, especially if he plans on alienating just about everyone other than Russia (whom I'm pretty sure we don't borrow much from anyway)?

[LMAO]

So, how do we pay for it?

Why the Federal Reserve printing all the money we need, of course.

Math always wins in the end

[cato potatoe]

I hope Trump is not president much longer, hopefully less than two years, but I hope less than one year.  I have already posted why he may not be. He is a conflagration every single day, out of control and that will never stop.

Problem is, when it comes to the military, he's from the same nuthouse as McCain and the other warmongers in the GOP.  He just never learned to use their rhetoric, and his pet dictator speaks Russian instead of Arabic.

[txradioguy]

I love how the military budget gets demonized and even when we had the supplemental spending for Iraq and Afghanistan it was still around 4% GDP....hell even under Reagan defense spending never got above 8% IIRC.

Meanwhile unfunded liabilities...welfare...continues to eat away at our GDP and our budgets every year.  But noooooooo we can't touch those to reign in spending and actually put money towards things that the President in constitutionally mandated to do...like defense.


Look folks this is a viscous circle we're in when it comes to the military.  Every time we get a Democrat in office...at least since I've been alive...they gut the military...run good people off and leave the weapons cupboard empty.  The Dem gets the boot...along comes a Republican who sees he's been left with a paper tiger at the Pentagon and goes about fixing the problem...one that costs $$$$.

Then here come the Dems in high dudgeon wailing about out of control spending on defense and the war mongering Republicans taking us to WWIII.

Never mind the fact that they were the ones that put us in such dire straits in the first place.

Happened with Reagan...Bush 43 and now with Trump.

We need to replace weapons stocks...parts for aircraft and tanks...rifles and kit need to be upgraded or replaced because of wear and tear...ships need drydock time for overhauls and upgrades.

All things that were put off or times between services were extended because of that Big Eared incompetent jackass we just kicked out of the WH forcing ONLY the DoD into sequester spending and then as a further FU...said "for every dollar you increase defense spending you have to increase welfare spending by the same dollar amount."...thanks bleep.

And then there's the fact we spend the last 8 years without a budget and had to live from CR to CR...that plays hell on military finances.

Donny's right we DO need a strong military...and if he actually listens to the people he's put in there and we rebuild...good for him..he'll have my support.

We've got China taking over massive amounts of territory illegally in the South Pacific and threatening our allies in the region....and as I sit here and type this there is not a carrier battle group at sea flying the U.S. Flag.

Japan is modifying it's constitution to let it's forces expand to more than a home defense force because of China.

You've got Russia scaring the crap out of Europe and threatening to take back countries that have been independent for over 100 years and Iran spreading it's special brand of terror in the Middle East.

If it were up to me...we'd reactivate at least one division in the Army and 2-3 separate brigades...plus two aviation brigades.  I'd reverse the Clinton era moves and put some combat units back in the Army Reserve to give me options as well.

I'd un-case the colors on 4 Marine Regiments and get their strength back up.

I'd halt this stupid LCS project and the DDG 1000 debacle and put that money into more Arleigh Burke DDG's and to fix the problems with the USS Ford.

Same with the F-35.  Use the money allocated for that to upgrades and parts for the F-15 and F-16 plus restart the F-22 production line...and I'd retire the B-52.

We need a Reagan sized Navy ship wise as well too.


That stuff takes money...and it needs to be explained to the people exactly why we need to do this...put the blame squarely in the laps of the Dems.  Then tell America that a project like this takes people making things and the end result of defense spending is jobs at home for people that have been jobless...and will ensure security at home and for Americans abroad.

[DCPatriot]

So, how do we pay for it? Do you think we can continue on this Obama-like deficit spending plan forever, especially if he plans on alienating just about everyone other than Russia (whom I'm pretty sure we don't borrow much from anyway)?

I would imagine, the same way it worked for Reagan, early on, and GWB with his REAL unemployment at 4.5%

The more people gainfully employed....the more withholding taxes into the government coffers.

The more people off food stamps and welfare...the more $$$ to spend on rebuilding the military's readiness.

[driftdiver]

Seriously, as a nation can we only do one thing at a time?

[txradioguy]

Seriously, as a nation can we only do one thing at a time?

No...but too many people have been brainwashed into thinking that we're an either or society.  Either we balance the budget OR we spend on (insert project here).

[LMAO]

It appears some seem to ignore the fact that our debt is now over 100% of GDP and deficits, even without the increase Trump wants in military spending, are on the rise.

Just a glance around the world has plenty of cruel examples of what happens when countries spend too much  money they don't have.

[txradioguy]

It appears some seem to ignore the fact that our debt is now over 100% of GDP and deficits, even without the increase Trump wants in military spending, are on the rise.

Just a glance around the world has plenty of cruel examples of what happens when countries spend too much  money they don't have.

Do you want us to rebuild the military that Obama decimated over 8 years?  Or do you want to start brushing up on your Chinese and Russian...perhaps even your Farsi?

[LMAO]

Do you want us to rebuild the military that Obama decimated over 8 years?  Or do you want to start brushing up on your Chinese and Russian...perhaps even your Farsi?

Nations can bankrupt themselves spending on the military just as much as they can on social welfare programs.

I'm not opposed to having a strong, updated military. But I'm not on  board with running up huge deficits and adding trillions more to the debt to do it.

[andy58-in-nh]

The military is more important than a balanced budget- but it is also far too important to continue to allow crucial decisions about weapons procurement and personnel to be made by Congress. Those decisions ought to be made by the Joint Chiefs and other senior military officials based upon multi-year projections, global threat assessments and the operational requirements of the respective branches of our military.

The current system is, and has for generations now been colored by disgraceful amounts of waste, fraud and abuse, as congressmen have lined up to their pockets with donations from contractors and their lobbyists.

[txradioguy]

Nations can bankrupt themselves spending on the military just as much as they can on social welfare programs.

I'm not opposed to having a strong, updated military. But I'm not on  board with running up huge deficits and adding trillions more to the debt to do it.

We have a greater chance of bankrupting ourselves on welfare and unfunded liabilities than on national Defense.

One is a Constitutional mandate the other is not.  Which one to cut and which one to spend more on is pretty easy to decide on.

[Rivergirl]

How many realize that all presidential travel is charged to the Pentagon.