Trump Tours $13 Billion Warship, Touts Boost in Defense Spending
U.S. President Donald Trump promised to boost defense spending when he visited a Virginia shipyard Thursday to tour the most expensive warship ever built.
Trump toured the USS Gerald R. Ford, a brand new $12.9 billion warship. He used the high-profile event to showcase the budget pledge he made this week to dramatically boost U.S. military spending.
Trump called the warship "a monument to American might that will provide the strength necessary to ensure peace."
"Hopefully it's power we don't have to use, but if we do, they're in big, big trouble," the president added. He also toured the carrier and met with sailors and military leaders.
The war vessel shifts from steam to electrical power and will be equipped with the best weaponry, communications and operating systems in the nation, according to the builder, Huntington Ingalls Industries.
The president’s request earlier this week for a $54 billion hike boosts the Pentagon budget to more than $600 billion a year. Calling it one of the largest increases in history, Trump said he would even like $30 billion more than that to strengthen what he called a "depleted military." By contrast, the State Department receives roughly $50 billion a year for programs including foreign aid, assistance and development.
At first glance, the figures suggest Trump is planning a much higher U.S. military profile in the world’s hot spots. A diverse group of scholars and military analysts, however, say the proposed 10 percent hike won’t make all that much difference in the grand scheme of things.
They note that the U.S. military is already the most powerful fighting force on the planet, and the United States spends significantly more on defense than any other country.
Regardless of its actual impact, the massive spending proposal helps Trump to argue that he is making good on his campaign promise to "Make America Strong Again." It is also prompting both allies and foes to reassess their own defense strategies.
Former State Department official Joshua Walker says countries such as Turkey see a stronger United States as a net plus in stabilizing the troubled Middle East.
"From an allied perception, Turkey would welcome this, saying it’s about time America has a more robust military presence in our neighborhood," Walker said. He described mainstream Turkish thinking as, "What’s happening in Syria is unacceptable. America needs to be more involved. Look what’s happening in Iraq. America has put troops there before and didn’t get it done. Maybe they’ll get it done this time."
On the other hand, Walker says many Asian countries see an increase in U.S. military spending as "exactly the provocation that countries like China and Russia have been telling their people to expect for a long time."
He contends talk of a buildup is also sending the impression abroad that the United States is no longer an inviting and welcoming place.
Gerald R. Ford on the James River in November 2013.
