Donald Trump called for 50,000 more Army troops, more than 70 new Navy warships, 13 new Marine battalions and nearly 100 Air Force planes, proposing a massive surge in defense spending he said is needed to stop the rise of the Islamic State and to be better prepared for other global threats.
The GOP presidential nominee, who’s portrayed himself as a reluctant warrior on the campaign trail, didn’t say how he’d deploy the extra firepower, but said the military had been hollowed out under President Obama and said it’s time to rebuild — at a cost of tens of billions of dollars a year.
“History shows that when America is not prepared is when the danger is by far the greatest,” Mr. Trump said at the Union League in Philadelphia. “We want to deter, avoid and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military strength.” – READ MORE
