Editorial Board
Trump's Bigger Military May Not Be Better
Adding troops and ships may look good on paper, but what’s the strategic goal?
It's already pretty big.
Photo: AFP/Getty ImagesLike a lot of his plans, Donald Trump’s proposal for military spending is both abundantly clear and maddeningly vague. He wants to devote a whole lot more money to the Pentagon, as demonstrated by his budget outline and address to Congress. But the president’s plan is too ill-defined and arbitrary to make much sense.
More military spending isn’t necessarily a bad thing: The Pentagon budget actually declined in real terms under his predecessor, while spending by China and Russia increased, and Trump’s proposed $54 billion increase is a minuscule part of the nation's $4 trillion budget.