Trump campaign vs. Trump administration: on Homeland Security
Donald Trump:
F-35 program out-of-control; cut billions in military costs
President-elect Donald Trump took aim at one of the Pentagon's costliest programs on Monday, saying on Twitter the "program and cost" of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter "is out of control."This is the third time in recent days that Trump has unloaded
on a defense program. Last week, Trump claimed the government's second-largest defense contractor, Boeing Co., had run up costs in the development of new Air Force One aircraft. The developer of the F-35 program is the government's largest defense
contractor, Lockheed Martin Corp.
"Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th," Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to the day he is sworn in as president.
The comment was similar to criticism
Trump made on Fox News Sunday, when he told an interviewer the F-35 program was "out of control."
Trump didn't mention Lockheed or any other company by name in his criticism. He hasn't said how he would push down costs.
Source: Wall Street Journal on 2016 Trump Administration planning
Dec 12, 2016
Donald Trump:
Ensure U.S. nuclear arsenal is at the top of the pack
Pres. Trump said he wants to ensure the US nuclear arsenal is at the "top of the pack," saying the US has fallen behind in its weapons capacity. In his first comments about the US nuclear arsenal since taking office, Trump was asked about a December
tweet in which he said the US must greatly expand its nuclear capacity "until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes."Trump said, "I am the first one that would like to see nobody have nukes, but we're never going to fall behind
any country, even if it's a friendly country. It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we're going to be at the top of the pack."
Russia has 7,000 warheads and the
United States, 6,800. The New START treaty between the US and Russia requires that by February 5, 2018, both countries limit their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons to 800 ICBMs for 10 years. Trump called New START "a one-sided deal."
Source: Reuters on 2017 Trump Administration promises & actio
Feb 14, 2017
Donald Trump:
Space Force: sixth branch of the armed services
President Trump touted one of his proudest achievements: Securing what he called "$716 billion with a B," for the military next year. "Our military will be stronger, and bigger, and better and more sophisticated than it's ever been. Ever,"
Trump told the crowd at the Charleston Civic Center. "The stronger your military, the better chance you have of never having to use it. We don't want to use it. We don't want to use it."
Of course, Trump also included a plug for his latest initiative, creating a Space Force as a sixth branch of the armed services. "That's very exciting. We need it.
That's the new frontier. And I'm not just talking about sending rockets to the moon. I'm talking about militarily, that's where it's at."
Source: Washington Examiner on 2018 Trump Administration
Aug 22, 2018
Donald Trump:
Ban on transgender people serving openly in the US military
Trump, after being elected, also said he was "fine" with same-sex marriage. But since he took office, his administration has scaled back some workplace protections for gay people and has argued in court that a federal anti-discrimination law
doesn't protect gay employees. He has also announced a ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. military, which the Supreme Court last month said could be implemented even as lower-court challenges play out.
Source: Josh Lederman, NBC News, on 2019 Trump administration
Feb 19, 2019
James Mattis:
Don't revisit old issues; let women in combat roles
Highlights from Mattis' confirmation hearings:
Mattis said that he had no intention of revisiting the Obama administration's decisions on social issues at the Defense Department, like the opening of combat roles to women.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2017 Trump transition Confirmation Hearings
Jan 12, 2017
James Mattis:
Bring business reforms to the Department of Defense
Mattis commented on military spending in his opening remarks, saying that one of his top priorities as secretary of defense will be "to bring business reforms to the Department of Defense by instilling budget discipline and holding our leaders
accountable." He added, "I will be committed to earning the trust and confidence of the Congress--and the American people--that the Department is the best possible steward of taxpayer money."
Source: Ballotpedia.org: 2017 Trump transition confirmation hearings
Jan 13, 2017
Jeff Sessions:
Giving alleged terrorists criminal rights is "too soft"
In 2009 Mr Sessions called Eric Holder, attorney-general under Mr Obama, "'too soft" in his handling of terrorism, and accused him of helping America's enemies by releasing Bush-era legal memos about the use of harsh interrogation techniques.
In 2011 he wrote in the Washington Post that the Department of Justice was making a "dangerous" mistake by treating alleged terrorists as candidates for criminal prosecution, with the same legal rights to remain silent and be represented by a
not criminal prosecution--is the only way our country can detect and foil the next al-Qa'eda plot," wrote Mr Sessions.
Source: The Economist newsmagazine coverage of 2016 Trump transition
Nov 18, 2016
Mick Mulvaney:
Raise the top line defense number
On spending for military and defense. In a contentious line of questioning from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Mulvaney was asked about his legislative record regarding military spending and if he would support increased defense spending. "The
best possible route forward is to raise the top line defense number and to have corresponding reductions in the non-defense discretionary," Mulvaney said.
Source: Ballotpedia.org: 2017 Trump transition confirmation hearings
Jan 25, 2017
Mick Mulvaney:
Military parade would cost $10M-$30M
President Trump's proposed military parade could cost as much as $30 million, budget director Mick Mulvaney said.Pentagon officials reportedly said in an early meeting about the parade that they did not know how they would pay for it.
The administration is reportedly targeting Veterans Day for the parade. Mulvaney told the committee after questioning, that the cost would depend on the length of the parade and the cost of the equipment. "I've seen various different cost estimates of
between $10 million and $30 million depending on the size of the parade, the scope of it, the length of it, those kind of things," Mulvaney said.
The cost of a possible parade isn't included in the fiscal 2019 budget plan, so Mulvaney said the
White House would have to work with Congress on the funding if "we decide to push forward with that initiative. "We'd have to appropriate funds for it," he said. Trump has proposed a military parade multiple times during his presidency.
Source: The Hill coverage of 2018 Trump Administration
Mar 1, 2018
Mike Pompeo:
No torture, including coercive methods like waterboarding
In a reversal, Pompeo said emphatically that he would not endorse torture, including coercive methods like waterboarding.
Pompeo had previously said he did not believe waterboarding was torture, and that it was legal.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2017 Trump transition Confirmation Hearings
Jan 12, 2017
Rand Paul:
Oppose Trump nominees who supported Iraq War or torture
Rand Paul is vowing to do everything he can to stop Mike Pompeo from becoming secretary of state, saying that Pompeo's earlier support for the Iraq war and defense of enhanced interrogation techniques--or "torture" in the view of Paul--is disqualifying.
And the Kentucky senator indicated he may be willing to filibuster CIA director nominee Gina Haspel, who he says is "gleeful" in her defense of torture techniques.Paul argued, "I'm perplexed by the nomination of people who love the Iraq War so much
that they would advocate for a war with Iran next. President Trump campaigned [that] the unintended consequences of regime change in Iraq led to instability in the Middle East."
On Haspel's confirmation, Paul said Haspel's remarks about her time
overseeing a CIA "black-ops" site disqualified her from the job of leading the intelligence agency. "My opposition to her is over her direct participation in interrogation and her gleeful enjoyment at the suffering of someone being tortured," Paul said.
Source: Politico.com on 2018 Trump Administration
Mar 14, 2018
Page last updated: Nov 02, 2024