After repeatedly calling for increased military spending and then bragging about it when he got it, President Donald Trump is now whining about the defense budget as he calls for an to an arms race crisis he manufactured.
In a bizarre tweet on Monday morning, Trump declared that he intends to discuss a “halt” to the arms race between the United States, Russia, and China before complaining about how much money the United States spends on the military.
I am certain that, at some time in the future, President Xi and I, together with President Putin of Russia, will start talking about a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable Arms Race. The U.S. spent 716 Billion Dollars this year. Crazy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2018
It’s odd because Trump himself advocated for increasing the military budget and giddily signed such increases into law.
Trump also ramped up the arms race by announcing an abdication of U.S. leadership on nuclear weapons reduction, and by recently withdrawing from the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) with Russia, an action former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has condemned.
Basically, Trump manufactured the spending and arms crisis and now he all of a sudden wants us to believe that he cares about fixing the problems he only made worse. Twitter wasn’t buying it, and promptly mocked him.
Didn’t you increase the defense budget? Crazy!
— Rob Taub (@robmtaub) December 3, 2018
*increases military spending*
“We’ve spent too much on the Arms Race!!” pic.twitter.com/3NUvZEXpzx— Bradley Stone (@TheTrueDemiGod) December 3, 2018
But you praise 716 Billion all the time at your rallies?
— SRMichael (@SusanMi25592463) December 3, 2018
YOU spent $716 Billion. Better spent on healthcare & infrastructure
— Howard Behlman (@howiebehlman) December 3, 2018
1. Demand 700 billion for military.
2. Boast about spending most on military.
3. Complain about 700 billion used for military.— Kolley Kibber (@camcamdamn) December 3, 2018
Any chance you recollect this? pic.twitter.com/n862CthWwR
— Chris Beneke (@historyball) December 3, 2018
You were the one that asked Congress to spend that much on defense. Stop acting like you have nothing to do with US government and its actions. You’re the one in charge, even if you don’t want to be.
— alba17?️??? (@alba17) December 3, 2018
He creates a sense of crisis, compromises, and both claims he accomplished more than he did and deserves credit for having defused the crisis that he largely created.
— NoWayGirlTV (@nowaygirltv) December 3, 2018
Gotta love how you complain about the military spending after YOU increased it by 25%
— Seth Woolston (@Seth_GTI) December 3, 2018
As Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haas explained earlier this morning, Trump has a history of creating crises and then taking credit for fixing the mess he created.
There is a pattern to the foreign policy of @realDonaldTrump. We have seen it w N Korea, NAFTA, and now China. He creates a sense of crisis, compromises, and both claims he accomplished more than he did and deserves credit for having defused the crisis that he largely created.
— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) December 3, 2018
That appears to be exactly what Trump is doing here once again.
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