Leveling unusually harsh criticism against the military, Republican Donald Trump said Wednesday night that America’s generals have been “reduced to rubble” under President Barack Obama and suggested he would fire some of them if he wins the presidency in November.
Trump’s comments came during a televised national security forum where he and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton each fielded 30 minutes of questions about their experience and judgment to be commander in chief. While the candidates never appeared on stage together, their back-to-back sessions served as a preview of sorts for their upcoming debates.
By virtue of a coin flip, Clinton took the stage first and quickly found herself responding at length to questions about her years in government. She reiterated that she had made mistakes in relying on a personal email account and private server as secretary of state and in voting for the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a senator. But she defended her support for U.S. military intervention to help oust a dictator in Libya, despite the chaotic aftermath.
“I’m asking to be judged on the totality of my record,” said Clinton, who grew visibly irritated at times with the repeated focus on her past actions.
Clinton, who has cast Trump as dangerously ill-prepared to be commander in chief, tried to center the discussion on her foreign policy proposals should she win in November. She vowed to not send American ground troops into Iraq or Syria to fight the Islamic State group. And she pledged to hold weekly Oval Office meetings with representatives from the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs to stay abreast of health care for veterans.
Trump did little to counter the criticism that he lacks detailed policy proposals, particularly regarding the Islamic State. He both insisted he has a private blueprint for defeating the extremist group and that he would demand a plan from military leaders within 30 days of taking office.
Asked to square his request for military options with his harsh criticism of the current crop of generals, Trump said simply: “They’ll probably be different generals.”
Trump renewed his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin for having “great control over his country.” He stood by a previous comment that appeared to blame military sexual assaults on men and women serving together, but added he would not seek to remove women from the military. And for the first time, he opened the door to granting legal status to people living in the U.S. illegally who join the military.
“I think that when you serve in the armed forces, that’s a very special situation,” Trump said. “And I could see myself working that out.”
As a businessman with no substantial national security experience, Trump was vague about how he is preparing for the enormous array of complex issues that would land on his desk as commander in chief. He cited his team of military advisers, but also said he has “a common sense” that will help him make decisions on foreign policy.
With just two months until Election Day, national security has emerged as a centerpiece issue in the White House race. Both candidates believe they have the upper hand, with Clinton contrasting her experience with Trump’s unpredictability and the Republican arguing that Americans worried about their safety will be left with more of the same if they elect Obama’s former secretary of state.
While GOP candidates are often seen by voters as having an advantage on military and national security issues, Trump is far from a traditional Republican. He has no military experience and has repeatedly criticized the skill of the armed forces.
A flood of Republican national security experts have instead chosen to back Clinton, helping bolster her case that Trump is broadly unacceptable. Earlier Wednesday, former Defense Secretary William Cohen joined the list of GOP officials supporting Clinton.
Ahead of the forum, Trump rolled out a new plan to boost military spending by tens of billions of dollars, including major increases in the number of active troops, fighter planes, ships and submarines.
His address earlier in the day also included plans to eliminate deep spending cuts known as the “sequester” that were enacted when Congress failed to reach a budget compromise in 2011. Republicans and Democrats voted for the automatic, across-the board cuts that affected both military and domestic programs, though the White House has long pressed Congress to lift the spending limits.
Trump expressed support for the sequester in interviews in 2013 — even describing them as too small — but seemed to suggest at the time that military spending should be exempt.
A senior adviser said ahead of the speech that Trump would make sure the additional spending was fully paid for but did not explain how.
The United States currently spends more than $600 billion a year on the military, more than the next seven countries combined.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Translation: Obama’s generals with Americans.
What is Trump making his own Air Force? My husband was a Captain in the Air Force? He worked hard to get that! Is good old Trump going to replace him and rob him and take that away also
What about my husband who was a captain in the Air Force in Viet Nam is old trump taking that away from him and other Vets? The man is nuts!
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President Trump is likely to delegate many tasks to people who are professionals in that particular field. If those professionals are unable to produce winning results they are likely to be fired. That isn’t a bad thing. Our military should be led by the most competent people, not by those who have risen in the ranks due to some connection or non-performance related factor.
Much has been made about the Republican national security experts who are backing Hillary. How many of these experts thought it was good to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq? How many of these “experts” thought our postwar strategies for Afghanistan and Iraq would work? How many of these “experts” failed to recognize the early warning signs of the terrorist attacks on American soil?
Before we blindly follow these Republican national security experts in supporting Hillary Clinton it would probably be a good idea to see what their track record is on picking winners.
If you want responsibility, you will have to bring back those Generals that Obama threw out. Those were the ones that wouldn’t convert to Obama’s thinking.
TRUMP<TRUMP<TRUMP< ..all the way. What else? Trust a Carrer Criminal, who has no sense / concern for National Security?
An obvious Pathological ,Lieing Magolomaniac with 95 coincidential suicides,accidents, ,,,,of freinds,Coleagues, government Aids, ….a possible Judge?….Besides the Benghazi masacre ? Are we Americans stupid to even allow this shaky blood thirsdty woman be a candidate? It seems obvious, it's all about money,,,Billions to be the President We know where TRUMPS money came from,what about Hillary's? All foreign money ,mostly fro9m our adversaries. Is our Country for SALE thru a Loony?
Mr. Trump is nuts! This is a major stupid idea. Mr. Trump what do think the President made Captains like husband?
He worked hard to get that during Viet Nam! Mr. Trump let go and let these men do their job! You should build and stay away from men and women who have earn that right! You need to stay out of their way!
All of Ovomit’s so called “generals” by now are all no more than yes men. Trump is correct in firing the lot of them. I hope he will reinstate Petras to be one of his top generals, and exonerate his record. There is only one candidate in this race and that is Trump. Hillary is a lo intellect criminal that should go to jail along with slimy Willie and a host of other cronies.
I would not expect Mr. Trump to give out all the details of his plan; if you tell the enemy what you plan to do then they can prepare for it. I don’t need to know what specifically they are going to do, I need to know that the right people are in place and they are given the opportunity to do what is right to preserve the United States which is based on Christian values and principals.
This isn’t startling. Trump just wants to replace Obama’s commissar-like political generals with actual professional military men whose loyalty remains with the United States rather than with a Dear Leader. Perhaps this, I hope, is the end of U.S. military political correctness. Prosecuting Obama for treason isn’t a bad idea either, if we can find him when he’s hiding in the jungles of Kenya.
Your a mean one Mr. Trump! You have never even been around vets and what they are like. My husband is real upset over his remarks! Mr. Trump has a mouth that is so dirty that I have no need to vote for this mouth of his! He acts like just came out of Leavenworth! I like the ideas that Mrs. Clinton has brought out to us! we are voting for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Clinton puts out what her plans are for ISIS while Trump does not want to give all the details (smart) I do not feel he disrespected the Military at all, they are hog tied if the president does not want to follow their expertise and advice, that is what he is referring to. Maybe he should look into the staff Obama fired because they spoke up and did not go along with the Obama regime.
As I recall, the obamanation relieved numerous high ranking military leaders thought to be too firm in their “Americanism”. As “commander and Chief” presidents have the power to pick and choose subordinates, even when a treasonous subversive manages to win office.