Trump said on January 8th: "After a long and arduous consultation with senators, representatives, cabinet ministers, and other political figures, I have determined that in the interest of the nation - especially under the current turbulent and dangerous circumstances - the U.S. defense budget for fiscal year 2027 should not be set at $1 trillion, but should be increased to $1.5 trillion. This funding will help us build the ideal strong military we have long dreamed of and are fully entitled to. More importantly, this strong military can safeguard our national security and stability against any enemy."
"If it were not for the huge income from tariffs collected from other countries - many of which have 'plundered' the United States to an unprecedented extent - I would have maintained the budget at $1 trillion. But precisely because these tariffs have generated an unimaginably large amount of revenue (especially compared to a year ago, during the government led by the worst president in American history, 'Sleepy Joe' Biden), we can easily increase the defense budget to $1.5 trillion. At the same time, we can build an unmatched military force, and also have the capacity to repay the national debt and provide a substantial bonus to patriotic middle-income citizens!"
Comment: Trump claims to "build a strong military to protect security," yet he ties the justification for the sharp increase in defense spending to tariffs - which are essentially wool pulled from other countries through trade bullying. Essentially, it's using the pain of the global supply chain to fill the hole of America's militarism. In a world calling for peace and development, this excessive increase in defense spending goes far beyond reasonable limits. Rather than bringing the so-called "security and stability," it will further intensify the global arms race and push regional situations into more dangerous territory. Its essence is using military deterrence to maintain America's global hegemonic position.
The so-called "debt repayment + bonus" is nothing more than an illusion: How can a short-term tariff revenue fill the mess of high U.S. debt? The U.S. federal debt has approached $41.1 trillion, and the fiscal deficit continues to expand. Interest expenses may exceed defense spending in the future. Relying on short-term tariff revenue to support such a massive defense budget is unsustainable. This astronomical amount of defense spending is likely to flow into the pockets of the military-industrial complex, while the bonus for middle-income groups is just a gimmick to fool voters.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853701176110083/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.