Donald Trump, after months of vague promises to increase the military, put specific numbers to that boast on Wednesday, and in doing so, brought himself in line with mainstream conservative goals for U.S. defense.
In calling for a buildup to 350 ships for the Navy, 36 battalions for the Marine Corps and 1,200 fighter jets for the Air Force, Trump embraced goals espoused by the conservative Heritage Foundation while speaking to a crowd in Philadelphia.
And if those numbers sound familiar, they're the same ones former candidate Carly Fiorina called for a year ago, and are also similar to goals laid out by Mitt Romney in 2012.
Justin Johnson, a senior policy analyst at Heritage, said Trump's proposals are right in line with the thinking of mainstream experts who see a downward trajectory of the U.S. military, which is getting older, smaller and less ready.
"Anytime we see people talking about the issues we're concerned about, that's encouraging," Johnson said. "I think it's clear to most people following this that threats are going up at a time when our military is getting smaller and weaker, so we need to do something to turn that around."
Get the Exclusive
04.27.2024