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Trump National Security Speech
I finally got around to watching Trump’s speech last night on the deck of the USS Iowa, and I thought he knocked it out of the park. It was billed as a speech on national security issues, so I was expecting something with depth and gravitas about the myriad issues facing our country, and a few essential details about how we can bring things around in the Middle East, Ukraine, China, and other national security issues. I was not disappointed. I took down pretty much every point Trump made, and I was impressed. The man is in command of the issues.
Here are the points that he made in his first important national security speech:
- I’m with the veterans 100 percent. We’ll create a whole new veterans’ health system, and send the veterans to private hospitals.
- Iowa’s a great place for a lot of reasons.
- We will make our military so big, strong, great, and powerful that we will never have to use it.
- Our president will be respected.
- Iran’s leader says they won’t do business with the US from here on out, now that we have made this deal. The deal is one of the worst ever. The 24-day provision is especially bad.
- We won’t sign deals when we have prisoners over there.
- Hillary was the worst secretary of state ever, but Kerry might be worse.
- I took a big hit when I brought up illegal immigration. I’m glad I brought it up. There is tremendous crime. Drugs pour in and the money pours out.
- We have no leadership.
- We are going to build a wall and Mexico is going to pay for it.
- We have a trade deficit with China of $400 billion per year. That equates to “losing $400 billion.”
- Japan sells us cars and we sell them beef. It’s not going to happen that way any more.
- Our problem is that their leaders (China, Japan, Mexico) are smart people. We have stupid leaders.
- I have Carl Icahn lined up. I have the smartest people, who will make the best deals.
- 31,000 people showed up in Mobile. 20,000 in Dallas. There were no hecklers.
- The silent majority is back. But they’re not silent. They are disgusted with our incompetent politicians. By anchor babies.
- We will make our country great again. (Tossed hats into the crowd.) This hat is the hottest thing out there.
Very insightful speech, and it didn’t take that long, either. Maybe 15 minutes or so.
Published in Foreign Policy, General
I think Trump said he supports women in combat roles. On the other hand, he said would follow the advice of his military advisors, who I can only assume will be the best military advisors.
Not a word about most favored nation status for Monte Carlo. I’m done with him.
Can’t have national security without fiscal stability.
From where? GE? IBM? The failed Trump Casino?
He says a lot of nice sounding things that upon further reflection have no basis in reality.
I think national security is one area Trump would excel. There’s all this criticism about Trump’s reality show blah blah .. but think about it, he got paid millions to sit in a chair and say “you’re fired”. Would you turn 10s of millions down?
What’s completely overlooked about Trump is the man is a Leader. I think there is little doubt he would rebuild the military and get foreign affairs back on track. The constant misjudging his leadership abilities is a mistake.
I made a comment on the previous page about the incompetence of senior air force officers prior to and during most of the Vietnam War. From one perspective it was actually comical. A war other than Vietnam could have had some disastrous consequences. I see nothing in the other candidates that would be in anyway superior to Trump’s leadership in national security. Including Marco :)
Trump speaking, from your link:
“I would really speak to the generals, because I would want to hear that without a political bent,” Trump cautioned. “To the public, they say, ‘yes, yes, yes,’ but I would want to hear it without the political bent.”
I wonder what the generals would privately, if they weren’t worried about wrecking their careers.
Plus, I fully expect any other Republican would also support women in combat roles because experience has taught me that the GOP lacks the guts to challenge the left on essentially anything, so it’s a wash.
I think that belief of mine, by the way, is a key reason the Trump haters aren’t having much luck (so far). When you expect to be stabbed in the back anyway, you may as well back the candidate you like, whether or not he gets the stamp of approval from the usual suspects.
Nor without border security.
Yes, Donald Trump is definitely addressing my concerns.
Interesting observation:
True- but what in actual practice has the GOP accomplished along those lines, lately?
Yes, I know I’m supposed to conclude the sequester was great, and be soo grateful that the GOP hasn’t quite continued the ruinously stupid spending that marked Barry’s early years- but we’re still running a yuuuge deficit and the real problems haven’t been addressed.
Not only, but in my view we’re living in a post Bush wasteland wracked by the terrible memories of his administration, spending wise.
An enormous fraction of the electorate- including I suspect myriad Trump supporters- simply don’t believe anything the party says now about spending and debt.
I can’t blame them.
Border (national) security is only possible with fiscal revenues and as Trump mentioned, illegal immigration is a financial boon to Mexico. We pay for the crime and the dependency and the Mexican govt receives revenue from over 50% of wages earned illegally in the U.S.
Hooray! More Trumpish snark to read. I was getting bored today, so thanks for the adrenaline! Once again, let me say that he may be a dolt in myriad ways, he may govern poorly, but by Grabthar’s Hammer, he connects with those of us who have had it with the Democrats and the pansy Republicans, who can’t be trusted to favor the citizens even if we secure the Oval Office. What on earth could be worse than another Dem as Prez? At least Trump loves America, whatever you might think, and is electable. 25% of the black vote – Crikey!
There’s a long time until the election, and there’s so much to anticipate with glee. George Will’s head may explode, for example. Mr. Leg Tingle? Who could guess?
The general schadenfreude will be enjoyed slowly, like real Scotch.
Yes, I’ve read of them. We should all thank Col. John Boyd, who (if I recall correctly) convinced the Air Force to develop aircraft such as the F-16 and A-10.
Alas, he wasn’t around to convince the air force to not spend a trillion dollars on the F-35.
He is brave!
It is probably safe to say that he couldn’t possibly make worse choices for appointments than Obama.
Yeah, but Icahn is The Icon!
Trump is playing the game.
So for Trump, should the strategy be, give some detailed foreign policy speech in hopes of impressing Charles Krauthammer?
No. There are only downsides. Are we electing a man, or are we electing a plan?
Or at this point shouldn’t the message be leadership, decisiveness, awareness of pressing problems and communicating these problems so that something can be done?
That’s the message he’s sending now, and it’s what is needed.
All this wonkery we will hear, the plans, the visions – they never come to fruition. That’s the snake oil. I believe these men to be sincere in bringing their plans into legislation, but in reality it’s only an opening gambit which will be negotiated, watered-down and become a boon to Democrats and a political ball-and-chain for Republicans.
I have no doubt that the military infrastructure and our existing alliances (such as they are now) and basic policy positions will remain, and probably with a guy like Trump, America would actuallybe more respected.
There are things to worry about, I must admit. He could get into a twitter war with Kim Jong – Un.
Yah, that’s about right.
But, the thing is, I also saw a man who leaned forward on the podium and seemed to take the problems seriously. He didn’t prepare a speech and try to trick people into believing he had all the answers right now without ever being in the job.
I heard the same speech you did. But I am keeping my mind open. Because all those people with their concrete promises, never do what they intended to do. Events change everything… and people get all up in arms when they can’t keep the promises. But the promisese were based on nothing to begin with, they promise the impossible!
I’m really tired of being told the impossible is a promise.
Trump is not a man I would leave to watch my kids… but we are so far down the rabbit whole with the current leadership, Trump can’t be any worse than the rest of them.
Trump is different. But he may not be wrong, and he might have the only way forward from here.
You’ll get no argument from me!
I am an “establishment” Republican but Trump’s rambling commentary in Iowa this week about trade deficits impressed me. It’s a highly complicated and critical issue that no candidate since Romney understands.
Since you asked for my synopsis of Trump’s responses in tonight’s debate, here it is. (I received an advance copy from his campaign.)
Boyd made enormous contributions to fighter design and development but I don’t think he flew combat, at least not in Vietnam, not certain about Korea. The F-16 and F-15 were designed and developed under his guidance and management and he did it as well as a govt. bureaucracy will allow. He had a couple of engineering degrees. People might be surprised by the number of engineering and technical degrees among fighter pilots.
Yes, the people are crying out for a single-payer supporting friend of Hillary who wants to start a Smoot Hawley style depression, and can’t bring himself to use words like “freedom” and “liberty” in his speeches.
Our prayers are answered.