A group of Republican lawmakers, retired high-ranking officers and former administration officials praised Donald Trump’s defense plans in an open letter on Wednesday, claiming the Republican presidential nominee has proved his commitment to implementing a “comprehensive long-term plan” to rebuild the U.S. military and boost national security.
The letter, released by the billionaire’s campaign hours before the final presidential debate, claims Trump “is a better choice than Hillary Clinton to move our military in the right direction as president” and understands the “level of investment in defense” that is needed to ensure “our war fighters are properly trained, equipped and ready to face ever more complex threats with dominant military strength.”
“The men and women of our nation’s military have served gallantly over the last fifteen years …,” stated the letter. “We must now provide them every resource necessary to execute their missions and come home safely.”
“Mr. Trump’s intention to reform the Defense Department, including a full audit and focused acquisition reform, is much needed and long overdue,” it continued. “His commitment to a comprehensive ballistic missile defense is indispensable in a world of rogue actors and missile proliferation, and we appreciate his understanding of the cyber threat and the steps we must take to defeat it.”
The letter also acknowledged the need for “peace through strength policy,” which Trump has repeatedly discussed at his rallies in recent weeks.
Its signatories include House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, Texas, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, Fla., and 10 other GOP lawmakers who serve on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees. Former Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Van Hipp and former Wisconsin Sen. Bob Kasten also signed the letter.
Trump first offered details about his plan to rebuild the U.S. military and reform the Defense Department during a speech in Philadelphia last month. The GOP presidential nominee vowed to eliminate the defense sequester, maintain an active Army force of 540,000 personnel, increase the number of Navy ships and develop a “state of the art ballistic missile defense system.”
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget issued an analysis of Trump’s plans that included an estimated cost of $150 billion over the next 10 years.
