Trump shares plans to spend lavishly for US military

US President Donald Trump has shared plans to spend lavishly on the United States military. He said he would not mind doing a costly financial investment to ensure troops and commanders will have the tools they need to win the battle against the Islamic State.

On Monday during a 12-minute speech to service members at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Trump talked about showing the whole world that America stands with those who stand to defend freedom. MacDill Air Force Base is the home to the military’s Central Command and Special Operations Command.

The president did not mention a specific amount he plans to spend on military tools during his speech, but said it is going to be a “historical” financial investment. According to Forbes, he is likely to boost the US military by spending US$500 billion (AU$652 billion).

“We will make a historic financial investment in the armed forces of the United States and show the entire world that America stands with those who stand in defence of freedom,” he said. Trump added that radical Islamic terrorists have strong desire to strike the United States.

The Monday event marks the first time that Trump got the chance to publicly address the troops since he took his seat as commander-in-chief. He grabbed the chance to talk about his win in the 2016 presidential elections, citing that military votes had a large share in his victory and the result was evidence of service members’ loyalty to him.

Trump said it was a wonderful election. He shared that he saw the numbers himself. “You liked me, and I liked you,” he said. Exit polls indicate that about 60 percent of military personnel have voted for Trump during the November election. The president has also recognised Gov Rick Scott of Florida in the audience, who had endorsed him and calls the latter “a better friend of mine.”

During his speech, Trump has also put emphasis on the drivers of his vision for national security. These include an “America First” rationale for hard-line policies like his infamous travel ban and an almost exclusive focus on the threat of the Islamic State.

He believes that strong programs are needed to ensure the security of America. “We need strong programs so that people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in,” Trump maintained. People who want to destroy America and its people are not welcome.