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In a "weekly address" broadcast over social media, President Donald Trump emphasized a massive strengthening of his country's armed forces, which he called a "force for peace and justice."
"My budget will give America's Armed Forces the resources they need to meet achieve full and total military preparedness to meet any and all global challenges," Trump said in the prerecorded statement visit aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford.
The massive 4.5-acre aircraft carrier, which Trump hailed as the "centerpiece of U.S. military might," is the newest addition to the U.S. fleet.
Trump presented a number of initiatives to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 28, including plans to increase military spending by US$58 billion.
Despite spending some US$610 billion on its military – 34 percent of the world total and more than the next eight nations combined – Trump emphasized the past reduction of U.S. military personnel, which the U.S. leader called the "greatest force for peace and justice the world has ever known," to justify the new spending increase.
"Investing in the military means investing in peace," Trump added in his Facebook video.
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In the lead-up to the Nov. 8 election, Trump was a frequent critic of the foreign policy pursued by Democratic Party presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. The billionaire real-estate mogul also chided Clinton's position on Russia and Syria, saying the former secretary of state wanted war with the Kremlin.
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Even during his inaugural speech, Trump signaled a retreat from an imperialist foreign policy.
"We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world," Trump said on Jan. 20. "We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow."
The promises of a massive increase in U.S. military spending, including a buildup of active military personnel, suggest otherwise.
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