‘WE ARE THE ENVY OF THE WORLD’: President Trump has been on a nonstop, marathon barnstorming tour of key swing states as he works to hold on to states he won in 2016, and which are vital to his reelection chances in tomorrow’s final day of voting.
Over the past 72 hours, Trump has held rallies before enthusiastic crowds in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Carolina, and perhaps most importantly, the critical state of Pennsylvania, with its 20 electoral votes, where polls show Democrat Joe Biden clinging to a slight edge.
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At every stop, Trump has touted his funding of the military, deficits be damned. “We invested $2.5 trillion in the U.S. military. We now have the greatest equipment we’ve ever had. We have the greatest equipment anywhere in the world. We are the envy of the world, Russia, China, North Korea. We are the envy,” he said in Dubuque, Iowa, last night, “That’s why we can’t worry too much about budgets. They can’t say, ‘Gee, we kept within budget, but who are those people running up the White House lawn?’ We don’t like that, right?”
‘SUPER-DUPER MISSILES’: “Our military was totally depleted when I took over, right? It was depleted. Our planes were old, our jet fighters. They used to go to the desert, the graveyards, airplane graveyards, to take parts out of old planes and bring them in,” Trump told a crowd in Reading, Pennsylvania, Saturday. “Now we have brand new F-35 fighter jets and tankers and submarines and missiles and rockets, and our nuclear has been fixed to a level that you wouldn’t believe, and we have the super-duper missiles that go very quickly … hypersonic they call them, right? Hypersonic. They go rather quickly, seven times the speed of our fastest missile right now. The best in the world.”
‘48 AND 0’: Trump has also sought to capitalize on the daring nighttime raid by SEAL Team 6, which freed an American citizen who was kidnapped last week in southern Niger, casting himself as hostage-rescuer in chief.
“We had a mission sent to a faraway land where they kidnapped an American citizen. And the kidnappers wished they had never done it. And they went in with a large group, zero casualties. We got our American citizen, young man, we got our young man back. But the other side suffered gravely, I can tell you that,” Trump said Saturday in Newtown, Pennsylvania, quoting his national security adviser on his record of success. “Robert O’Brien, who’s doing a tremendous job, said to me, ‘Sir, you’re 48 and 0.’ Forty-eight and 0, think of that, we’ve brought many, many of them home,” Trump said.
By yesterday, the number had increased by seven. “Over the last four years, we have rescued a record 55 hostages and detainees in more than 24 countries,” Trump said last night in Hickory, North Carolina.“And we pay nothing because once you pay, those numbers go very high.”
NOBEL PRIZE NOMINEE: Trump also bragged that he’s been nominated by a Norwegian politician for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his work brokering the Abraham Accords, the historic agreement that normalized relations between Israel and two longtime adversaries, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
In Pennsylvania, Trump said he’s not just bringing peace in the Middle East, but also to the Balkans. “Now I hear it’s four. Nominated,” Trump said, tallying up his nominations from various parliamentarians. “But think of it, and not just the Middle East. So we had a case, we’re making trade deals with Kosovo and Serbia,” Trump said. “You know how long it took me? About three minutes. I said to my guys, I said … ‘Tell them they got to stop killing each other.’ You know what? Within a short period of time, we made a deal, right? That way we were nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump won’t learn if he wins the Nobel Prize until next year. This year there were more than 300 nominees, and any politician serving at the national level can put forth a candidate.
SPEAKING OF BRAGGING: The president mentioned that he visited Army Special Forces troops at Fort Bragg Friday, where he presented a Presidential Unit Citation to the Green Berets who killed Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in a raid last year.
“I was at Fort Bragg, and by the way, we’re leaving the name Fort Bragg,” Trump said in North Carolina last night, blaming the move to rename Army bases that honor Confederate generals on the “cancel culture.”
“Cancel culture. Let’s cancel. Let’s change everything,” Trump told a rally crowd. “Naw. We’re leaving the name Fort Bragg … We won two world wars out of Fort Bragg and other great places.”
Both the Senate and House have passed legislation that would require the Army to renames the bases, but the bills still have to be resolved in conference committee.
Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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SEAL TEAM 6 TO RESCUE: The Pentagon provided few details on the operation that freed an American held hostage for less than 96 hours in Niger. A statement released afterward didn’t identify the Navy commandos (SEAL Team 6) or the person rescued (27-year-old Philip Nathan Watson).
“U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of 31 October in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men. This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State,” said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. “This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State.”
Another American kidnapped in Niger four years ago, Jeffrey Rey Woodke, 59, remains in captivity four years after Islamic State militants snatched the Christian aid worker.
WHO KNEW? Dr. Scott Atlas, President Trump’s go-to adviser on the coronavirus task force, is apologizing for an interview he did with the Kremlin-funded cable network RT on Saturday.
“I recently did an interview with RT and was unaware they are a registered foreign agent,” Atlas tweeted yesterday. “I regret doing the interview and apologize for allowing myself to be taken advantage of. I especially apologize to the national security community who is working hard to defend us.”
“The lockdowns … will go down as an epic failure of public policy by people who refused to accept they were wrong — were wrong, refused to accept they were wrong, didn’t know the data, didn’t care, and became a frenzy of stopping COVID-19 cases at all costs,” Atlas told RT. “And those costs are massive,” Atlas continued. “And what’s happening here is that the argument is undeniable. The lockdowns are killing people, but they’re not really impactful, the lockdowns.”
NEW ASD FOR SPACE POLICY: The Pentagon announced Friday that it’s fulfilling a congressional mandate to create a new position: assistant secretary of defense for space policy.
“The new assistant secretary of defense for space policy will be responsible for engaging international partners and government agencies on space strategy,” writes Washington Examiner Defense Reporter Abraham Mahshie. “The position will eliminate one layer of the organizational chart and bring the civilian official overseeing space policy closer to Pentagon leadership.”
Current acting deputy Justin Johnson will be redesignated “the official performing the duties of” the assistant secretary of defense for space policy until the president nominates someone to serve permanently in the position and that person is approved by the Senate.
INDUSTRY WATCH: The State Department has approved the sale of 200 Raytheon Javelin anti-tank missiles to Australia for $46 million, to be provided out of U.S. Army stocks.
In addition, the department has also approved a sale of four Bell helicopters to Guyana for an estimated cost of $256 million. The principal contractor is Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Russia greatest election challenge, China biggest national security threat, says top counterintelligence figure
Washington Examiner: Pentagon names civilian to oversee space policy in continued Space Force stand-up
Washington Examiner: Trump adviser Jason Miller hints legal battle to stop counting ballots after Election Day
Washington Examiner: Trump awards citation to military unit responsible for raid that killed ISIS leader al Baghdadi
Washington Examiner: DHS and FBI warn Iranian hackers are targeting state election websites and pushing disinformation
Defense One: Helicopters Over DC Protesters Broke Regulations While Commander Was Driving Home, DC Guard Concludes
Popular Mechanics: Why The Guy In Charge Of The Navy Wants Smaller, Lighter Aircraft Carriers
Military Times: Marine F-35s Deploy On UK’s Newest Aircraft Carrier Queen Elizabeth
Defense Daily: SecNav Touts $46 Billion In Navy Savings Toward Shipbuilding
Breaking Defense: China Set To Beat U.S., Russia Again In Space Launch Race
Breaking Defense: New North Korea ICBM Looks Bigger, But…
Talk Media News: A Potemkin Peace In Afghanistan –“It really is a mess”
AP: Iran Begins Annual Air Force Drill With Drones, Fighter Jets
New York Times: Deadly Taliban Attack Probably Used Drone, a Worrisome Shift
Defense News: The Pentagon Is Building A School To Teach The Force How To Defeat Drones
WJLA-TV: Body Of Marine Who Threw Himself Over Grenade To Save Others Flown To DC For Proper Burial
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Crew chiefs don’t have feathers
Washington Post: Air Force takes steps to clear path for women’s advancement
Forbes: Biden Win Would Be A Mixed Blessing For Aerospace, But A Trump Win Could Be Worse
Calendar
MONDAY | NOVEMBER 2
11 a.m. — Association of the U.S. Army’s Thought Leaders webinar series with retired Lt. Gen. David Barno and Nora Bensahel, authors of Adaptation Under Fire: How Militaries Change in Wartime. AUSA membership is not required. To register: https://info.ausa.org
12 p.m. — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs webinar on U.S.-Iraqi relations and current events in the region, with Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S. Fareed Yasseen. https://calendar.gwu.edu/conversation-iraqi-ambassador
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “The World is Watching Tomorrow’s Election,” with John Hamre, CSIS president and CEO; Matthew Goodman, CSIS senior vice president for economics; and Stephanie Segal, senior fellow in the CSIS Economics Program. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event-world-watching-tomorrows-election
3 p.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance Deterrence Center online forum: “Our Nation’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Over the Next Four Years,” with Madelyn Creedon, former principal deputy NNSA administrator; and William Ostendorff, former principal deputy NNSA administrator. Video posted after the event at https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org
TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 3 | ELECTION DAY
10:30 a.m. — Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, makes remarks at the Pentagon’s virtual 2020 Defense Acquisition Awards Ceremony. Livestreamed at https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Live-Events/
WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 4
1:30 p.m. — Autonomous & Hypersonic Weapons Systems Virtual Symposium, wi- Asst Dir. for Hypersonics Mike White, OUSD(R&E) (1:30 p.m. EST); Joint Hypersonics Transition Office Dr. Gillian Bussey, OUSD(R&E) (2:05 p.m. EST), speak @ Autonomous & Hypersonic Weapons Systems Virtual Symposium (register @ https://www.asdevents.com/aerospace-defence
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 5
8 a.m. — Woodrow Wilson Center’s Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy webcast: “The Korean Peninsula After the U.S. Election,” with former State Department Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joseph Yun, senior adviser at the U.S. Institute of Peace Asia Program; Kim Joon-hyung, chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy; Kim Jiyoon, political analyst and host of TBS FM’s “Evening Show”; and Jean Lee, director of the Hyundai Motor-Korean Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/korean-peninsula-after-us-election
9 a.m. — National Defense Industrial Association virtual 2020 Joint Armaments, Robotics and Munitions Digital Experience, with Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe, commanding general of the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence (pre-recorded); Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Malone, joint program executive officer of the Army Joint Program Executive Office (pre-recorded); and Donald Sando, deputy to the commanding general and director of capabilities development and integration at the Maneuver Center of Excellence. https://www.ndia.org/events
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “The U.S. presidential election and what it means for the U.S.-ROK alliance and North Korea moving forward,” with former U.S. Ambassador South Korea Christopher Hill, professor at the University of Denver. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event
9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States webinar on a new Institute for the Study of War report: “Putin’s Offset: The Kremlin’s Geopolitical Adaptations Since 2014,” with Kimberly Kagan, president of the Institute for the Study of War; Nataliya Bugayova, nonresident national security fellow at the Institute for the Study of War and director of intelligence at Tecsonomy; Ben Hodges, chair in strategic studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis; Teija Tiilikainen, director of the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats; and Oksana Syroid, co-chair of the Lviv Security Forum. https://www.gmfus.org/events/putins-offset
11 a.m. — Space Foundation’s Space Symposium 365, with Gen. James Dickinson, commander United States Space Command. https://spacesymposium365.org
12 p.m. — Heritage Foundation virtual event: Post-Election Analysis: What Lies Ahead for America?” with Kay C. James, Heritage Foundation president; William Bennett, former Education Secretary and Drug Czar; Jim Geraghty, senior political correspondent, National Review; John Yoo, Professor of Law, UC Berkeley and fellow, American Enterprise Institute; and Byron York, chief political correspondent, Washington Examiner. https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/event
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 6
9 a.m. — National Defense Industrial Association virtual 2020 Joint Armaments, Robotics and Munitions Digital Experience, with Assistant Defense Secretary for Acquisition Kevin Fahey. https://www.ndia.org/events
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “Enabling the 21st Century Operator,” with Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Director Lt. Gen. Michael Green. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event
2:30 p.m. — University of Washington Space Policy and Research Center (SPARC) Symposium, with remarks by Maj. Gen. John Shaw, commander, Combined Force U.S. Space Component Command; and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. https://www.sparc.uw.edu/2020-symposium
TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 10
9 a.m. — American Enterprise Institute webcast: “Gray-zone aggression: Countering a growing national security threat,” with Elisabeth Braw and Pål Jonson of the Swedish Parliament; retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, Cyberspace Solarium Commission; and Hélène Galy of Willis Research Network. https://www.aei.org/events/gray-zone-aggression
TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 17
11 a.m. — The Heritage Foundation releases its 2021 Index of U.S. Military Strength, with Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/virtual-event
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“What’s clear from our Constitution is that it’s not the president who picks the president. It’s the people who pick the president. So Donald Trump can get out there and say whatever the hell he wants on election night, but the only thing that matters is when we’ve counted up all the legal, eligible votes here in Pennsylvania and the other states.”
Democratic Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, in an interview on CNN Sunday.
