TRUMP: ‘I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM USING THE MILITARY’: In an extensive interview published in Time magazine yesterday, former President Donald Trump said one of the priorities of a second term would likely involve the use of National Guard troops to assist law enforcement in rounding up millions of immigrants who are in the country illegally for deportation.
“We will be using local law enforcement. And we will absolutely start with the criminals that are coming in,” Trump told Time’s National Politics Reporter Eric Cortellessa. Trump envisions a series of mass deportation camps that would require military support. “I think in terms of the National Guard. But if I thought things were getting out of control, I would have no problem using the military, per se,” Trump said. “We have to have safety in our country. We have to have law and order in our country. And whichever gets us there, but I think the National Guard will do the job.”
“The Posse Comitatus Act says that you can’t deploy the U.S. military against civilians,” Cortellessa noted. “Would you override that?”
“Well, these aren’t civilians,” Trump responded. “These are people that aren’t legally in our country. This is an invasion of our country — an invasion like probably no country has ever seen before. They’re coming in by the millions. I believe we have 15 million now. And I think you’ll have 20 million by the time this ends. And that’s bigger than almost every state.”
‘IF WE WERE ATTACKED, NATO WOULDN’T BE THERE’: Trump’s opinion of the 75-year-old NATO alliance has not improved since he left office. He continues to rail against the European members that he claims are not paying their fair share and expressed doubts that the alliance has any value to the United States. “I don’t think that NATO would come to our defense if we had a problem.”
“It’s a one-way street, even if they paid. I want them to pay. But I believe if we were attacked, NATO wouldn’t be there. Many of the countries in NATO would not be there,” Trump said. He also doubled down on his threat to let Russia “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries that don’t spend enough on their defense.
“That was said as a point of negotiation,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Look, if you’re not going to pay, then you’re on your own.’ And I mean that.”
“I love Europe, I love the people of Europe, I have a great relationship with Europe. But they’ve taken advantage of us, both on NATO and on Ukraine. We’re in for billions of dollars more than they’re in in Ukraine,” Trump said. “It shouldn’t be that way. It should be the opposite way. Because they’re much more greatly affected. We have an ocean in between us. They don’t.”
The latest data from the Kiel Institute show that as of March, European nations have donated almost 90 billion euros, compared to the U.S. contribution of 67 billion euros, and ranks the U.S. 15th in terms of contributions as a percentage of GDP. It should also be noted that after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, NATO invoked the Article 5 provision for collective defense and joined U.S. forces in Afghanistan, losing more than 1,100 troops over the course of the 20-year war.
A fact check accompanying the Time article also disputed Trump’s claim that the U.S. was spending “almost 100% of the money on NATO.”
“The agreement, a defense investment guideline, ensures the Alliance’s collective military readiness. It is not a bill, but rather a voluntary spending guideline for each country’s military budget,” Time noted. “In February, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects 18 allies to spend 2% of GDP on defense in 2024 — a six-fold increase since 2014 when only three allies met the target.”
‘I LET THEM QUIT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A HEART’: During his time in office, Trump claimed to have fired many people who actually quit. One example was his first Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who handed in his letter of resignation only to have Trump initially praise him, before changing his tune and berating the retired Marine general. He also claimed to have fired Attorney General Bill Barr, who, like Mattis, resigned. Trump said he was just being a “gentleman.”
“Many people should have been fired. I did fire people. I fired a lot of people. Now I let them quit because, you know, I have a heart. I don’t want to embarrass anybody. But almost every one of those people were fired by me,” he said.
“You could look at the military people. I said, ‘Hand me a letter, general, hand me a letter,’ every one of them. So they handed me a letter,” Trump said. “I don’t think I’ll do that again. I think, from now on, I’ll fire. You know why? Because they say that they quit. They didn’t quit.”
“I said, ‘Hand me a letter.’ That’s a gentleman’s thing to do.”
One general who considered resigning but didn’t was Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, whom Trump considers a traitor. “Milley should have been fired based on his statement to China,” Trump said, referring to a report that Milley told a Chinese general he would tip him off if Trump ordered military action against China. “If he actually made those statements, that’s a very serious thing — you know, the statement to China, if he actually made them, and I guess he did because they’re on tape.”
HOW STRONG IS THE CASE AGAINST GEN. MARK MILLEY?
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HAPPENING TODAY: AUSTIN TRAVELS TO INDOPACOM: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin departs this morning for Honolulu, Hawaii, headquarters of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. On Friday, he will preside over a change-of-command ceremony as Adm. Samuel Paparo takes over for retiring Adm. John Aquilino.
Tomorrow, Austin will meet with his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, including a one-on-one with Australian Defense and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. That meeting comes as Australia has committed to a new national defense strategy that calls for a 20% increase in defense spending over the next decade.
“Our partners across the region are drawing closer to each other, they’re drawing closer to us, and together, we’re doing more than ever to advance our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” a senior defense official told reporters yesterday.
Austin is also scheduled to meet with Japanese Defense Kihara Minoru and Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro.
PHILIPPINES CONDEMNS CHINA’S ‘BARBARIC’ CONFRONTATION WITH COAST GUARD
BUSY DAY ON THE HILL: There’s a full day of budget hearings today on Capitol Hill, beginning at 10 a.m. with a pair of House hearings on the Navy-Marine Corps and Coast Guard budgets.
The Senate and House both have military construction subcommittees taking testimony from defense officials, while a Senate Armed Services subcommittee examines the “current readiness of the joint force” and a House Armed Service subcommittee reviews “national security space programs.”
See calendar below for details.
AUSTIN: BUDGET CAPS FORCED HARD CHOICES: In his testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the budget caps imposed by Congress under the Fiscal Responsibility Act left the Pentagon little choice but to delay some future programs in order to maintain military readiness in the present.
“Our approach dials back some near-term modernization for programs not set to come online until the 2030s,” Austin testified. “It is aligned to our strategy. We made tough but responsible decisions that prioritize near-term readiness, the modernization of the joint force, and support for our troops and their families.”
The constraints negotiated by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden to resolve the debt ceiling crisis are now a cause of deep frustration for members of the Armed Services committees in both the House and Senate who are used to plussing up the bare bones budget submitted from the White House.
“We need a budget that supports the rapid modernization of our military, a budget that fully funds readiness to ensure we can fight tonight, and a budget that will improve the quality of life of our service members so we can recruit and retain the most lethal fighting force on the planet,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL). “Unfortunately, this budget does not do those things. The 1% increase it proposes entirely is inadequate. It actually is a 2% cut when you factor in inflation, but this is the hand dealt to us by the Fiscal Responsibility Act that we all have responsibility for enacting.”
“I think the chairman laid it out fairly well. It can be summed up as big threats and a tight budget, and you have to figure out how to make that work,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the top Democrat on the committee. “But as the chairman noted, we have that tight budget because that’s what Congress passed and the president signed, so we will have to find a way to live within it.”
GAETZ: F-35 IS A ‘$100 MILLION PAPERWEIGHT’: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) used part of his time to berate Austin over the performance and maintenance cost of America’s premier fighter jet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning.
Gaetz read from an April Government Accountability Office report that found the cost to sustain the F-35 fleet keeps increasing, from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to $1.58 trillion in 2023, while the Pentagon plans to fly the F-35 less than originally estimated, partly because of reliability concerns with the aircraft.
“We just had the Air Force in here, and I said, what percentage of these F-35s are fully mission capable? And they said 29%. … Is the F-35 program a failure?” Gaetz pressed Austin. “$100 million a copy, 29% being fully mission capable, does that seem low to you?
“There are a number of reasons why a platform could be nonoperational at any one given time,” Austin replied. “But having said that, it is probably — it is one of the best aircraft in the inventory.”
“OK, so how many hundred million paperweights do we own?” Gaetz retorted, to which Austin replied, “I would not categorize the F-35 as a paperweight.”
“Just own up to it, Mr. Secretary. Just say this air frame has not delivered. It’s too costly. It’s not being utilized as we should, and we should never again make the mistake of doing a full system performance contract with the very person who built the aircraft. Could we agree to that?” Gaetz said.
“I agree, in the future, we should have a different approach,” Austin conceded.
AUSTIN AND GAETZ SPAR OVER ‘BOOTS ON THE GROUND’ REGARDING GAZA PIER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Ukraine says ‘there will be no forced returns’ of military-aged men for mobilization
Washington Examiner: Austin and Gaetz spar over ‘boots on the ground’ regarding Gaza pier
Washington Examiner: Austin: Main concern of Rafah operation is executing plan to safeguard civilians
Washington Examiner: US would not support ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders
Washington Examiner: Biden administration contemplating bringing Palestinian refugees into US: Report
Washington Examiner: Philippines condemns China’s ‘barbaric’ confrontation with coast guard
Washington Examiner: Xi Jinping complicates France state visit with water cannon attacks in the Philippines
Washington Examiner: Russia is conducting an aggressive covert sabotage campaign in Europe
Washington Examiner: Biden’s top border official refuses to say illegal immigrants are vetted before release
Washington Examiner: Immigrant surge under Biden triggers positive effect on US workers: Study
Wall Street Journal: The Dark-Horse Alliance Racing Forward to Take On China
Defense News: Soaring US Munitions Demand Strains Support for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan
Inside Defense: Lawmakers Question Navy Officials, Again, On Readiness Issue
CNN: China’s Newest Aircraft Carrier Heads To Sea For First Time
Military.com: Supreme Court Rejects Military Chaplains’ Lawsuit Claiming Refusal of COVID-19 Vaccine Hurt Their Careers
Breaking Defense: ‘Dead on Arrival: Key House Appropriators Oppose Transfer of Guard Units to Space Force
New York Times: Blinken Praises New Aid Corridors For Gaza, But Says Residents There Need More Help
New York Times: Israel Declares Rafah Invasion As a Certainty
Stars and Stripes: Retired US Navy captain killed by police in child sex predator sting
SpaceNews: Saltzman: Space Force Still Grappling with Refueling Math
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pilot Ejects from F-16 Crash at Holloman Air Force Base
Air & Space Forces Magazine: MH-139 Suffers ‘Critical’ Cost Breach; Sentinel ‘Halfway’ Through Its Review
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Austin Pushes Back on Lawmaker’s F-35 Criticism: Not a ‘Paperweight’
The War Zone: How The Marines Plan to Fly The MV-22 Osprey into the 2060s
Air & Space Forces Magazine: SDA Awards Contract for Eight New ‘FOO Fighter’ Fire Control Satellites
Inside Defense: Pentagon Tech Chief Announces Four RDER Projects Headed into Production
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Kendall: Air Force Expects 100 CCAs Operating Within Five Years
Air Force Times: New Air Force PT Uniforms Roll Out After 2-Year Delay
Washington Technology: SAIC Wins Second Chance at $457M Air Force IT Modernization Award
THE CALENDAR:
WEDNESDAY | MAY 1
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/full-committee
10 a.m. 2362-A Rayburn — House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing: “FY2025 Request for the U.S. Coast Guard,” with testimony from Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan http://appropriations.house.gov
10:30 a.m. 124 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the FY2025 Budget Request for Military Construction and Family Housing,” with testimony from Assistant Defense Secretary for Energy, Installations, and Environment Brendan Owens; Vice Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, deputy chief of naval operations for installations and logistics at the Navy; Deputy Marine Corps Commandant Installations and Logistics Lt. Gen. Edward Banta; and Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy chief of staff for installations (G-9) at the Army; Lt. Gen. Tom Miller, deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering, and force protection at the Air Force; and Bruce Hollywood, associate chief operations officer at the Space Force http://appropriations.senate.gov
1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies and U.S. Naval Institute discussion: “DOD’s Warfighting Concept,” with Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady and retired Adm. Raymond Spicer, publisher and CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/dods-warfighting-concept
2 p.m. 2362-A Rayburn — House Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing: “FY2025 Request for the U.S. Army,” with testimony from Rachel Jacobson, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy, and environment, and Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy chief of staff (G9), Installation Management Command http://appropriations.house.gov
2 p.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific Subcommittee hearing: “From 1979 to 2024: Evaluating the Taiwan Relations Act and Assessing the Future of U.S.-Taiwan Relations,” with testimony from Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
2 p.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee hearing: “The current readiness of the Joint Force,” with testimony from Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army; Adm. James Kilby, vice chief of naval operations; Gen. Christopher Mahoney, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps; Gen. James Slife, vice chief of staff of the Air Force; Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations; and Diana Maurer, director of defense capabilities and management at the Government Accountability Office http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “Navigating Intelligence-Driven Cyber Defense,” with Air Force Col. Joshua Rockhill, commander of the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland 688th Cyberspace Wing; Christopher Thomas, director for cybersecurity integration and synchronization in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6; Aaron Cherrington, senior principal threat analyst at Mandiant, Google Public Sector; George Jackson, director of events at GovExec Media; and Aaron Heffron, president for research and forecasting at GovExec https://events.govexec.com/navigating-intelligence-driven-cyber-defense/
3:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “FY25 Budget Request for National Security Space Programs,” with testimony from John Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy; Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and integration; Troy Meink, principal deputy director, National Reconnaissance Office; and Tonya Wilkerson, deputy director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/str-hearing
4:30 p.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee hearing: “Navy and Marine Corps investment programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Nickolas Guertin, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition; Vice Adm. James Pitts, deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities; and Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for combat development and integration http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
6 p.m. 1700 H St. NW — Vandenberg Coalition discussion: “Celebrating NATO’s 75th Anniversary,” with former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison and Estonian Ambassador to the U.S. Kristjan Prikk https://form.jotform.com
THURSDAY | MAY 2
9 a.m. 1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute conference: “Managing Regional Escalation Amid the War in Gaza” https://www.mei.edu/events/managing-regional-escalation-amid-war-gaza
9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual book discussion: Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability, with author Michael Kimmage, CSIS nonresident fellow, and Mary Elise Sarotte, professor of historical studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies https://www.csis.org/events/collisions-origins-war-ukraine
10 a.m. — New America virtual discussion: “National Cyber Strategy One Year Out,” with former White House Deputy National Cyber Director Camille Stewart Gloster, co-founder of #ShareTheMicInCyber, and Maggie Miller, Politico cybersecurity reporter https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/events
4 p.m. 1957 E St. NW -— George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs book discussion: The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History, with author Serhii Plokhy, director of Harvard University’s Ukrainian Research Institute https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/the-russo-ukrainian-war
4:15 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research discussion: “Stress Test: The Toll of the War in Ukraine on the Kremlin,” with Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova; Leon Aron, AEI senior fellow; Chris Miller, AEI nonresident senior fellow; Robert Doar, AEI president; and Dalibor Rohac, AEI senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/stress-test-the-toll-of-the-war-in-ukraine
FRIDAY | MAY 3
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion on a new report: “Beyond Economics: How U.S. Policies Can Undermine National Security Goals” https://www.csis.org/events/report-launch-beyond-economics
9 a.m. 14th and F Sts. NW — National Press Club briefing: “Updates and Status of Cases of U.S. Journalists Austin Tice and Evan Gershkovich,” with Paul Beckett, Washington bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, and Debra Tice, mother of Austin Tice https://www.press.org/events/updates-and-status-cases-us-journalists
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “The New Era of U.S.-Japan Strategic Cooperation: A Dialogue with Japanese Lawmakers,” with Nakatani Gen, member of the Japanese House of Representatives; Onodera Itsunori, member of the Japanese House of Representatives; Masuo Chisako, professor at Kyushu University; and Tsuchiya Motohiro, professor at Keio University https://www.csis.org/events/new-era-us-japan-strategic-cooperation