At the outset of his speech, Trump refers to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act as simply the National Defense Authorization Act and "our new defense bill." Will he acknowledge McCain at all?
Trump on the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "Very prestigious title. I always loved the ring: the Joint. Chiefs. Of staff. Right? That's got a good ring."
Trump says that local congresswoman Elise Stefanik kept calling him but he didn't want to take her calls, and then she invited him to come speak at this base but he said he was too busy, but she persisted, so he eventually said he'd come.
After Pence gave a conventional speech, Trump is already improvising Trumpishly: "Nobody has made more progress on anything than what we've done for our vets."
Trump falsely says the $716 billion NDAA is "historic." It's not even if you ignore inflation; Obama's 2011 version was $725 billion. This is the 12th time he's falsely claimed or suggested he's setting defense spending records.
Trump, again, on the F-35 he may or may not think is actually invisible: "You know that's stealth. I talked to a couple of pilots...they said, 'They're hard to beat because you can't see them.' It's always hard to beat the enemy when you can't see it."
Trump is touting his increase in defense spending, saying there'll more troops and new tanks, helicopters, planes and other vehicles. He adds: "And hopefully we'll be so strong, we'll never have to use it, but if we ever did, nobody has a chance."
After jokingly asking the troops to raise their hands if they want to turn down the pay increase they're being granted, Trump says, "What's going on here? Are these real patriots? I don't know, general, I don't know."
Trump criticizes the media, to some mild applause from the troops, then says: "I'm so proud of myself, I didn't call them the 'fake news media.'...We know the real truth, but we won't say it today."
For the 10th time in the last couple weeks, Trump falsely says Asian-American unemployment is lowest ever. (It's 3.1%; was lower at end of the Obama era and during W. Bush era.)
For the 15th time, Trump falsely says women's unemployment is lowest in 65 years. (It's 18 years.)
For the 15th time, Trump falsely says women's unemployment is lowest in 65 years. (It's 18 years.)
Trump falsely says he wouldn't have been believed if he'd claimed even 2 million jobs would be greated over the 19 months since the election. About 4 million jobs were created under the previous 19-month period under Obama.
Trump's speech said that the 10th Mountain Division from this base isn't just tough, it's "mountain tough." Ad-libbing, Trump then claims haltingly that he asked a general what the difference is, and "he said, 'Sir, trust me, there's a difference.'"
Trump touts the return of some U.S. remains from North Korea. "We believe in no American left behind," he says to applause.
Trump, with his usual space-related extreme vagueness, on his space-related military efforts against U.S. adversaries: "We we will be so far ahead of them in a very short period of time, your head will spin."
Applause for the Space Force.
Trump reads a Patton quote about having the "best men in the world," then adds, "Now if it were today he would be saying 'the best men and women in the world.' Things do change."
