the issues: military
In the 2024 presidential election, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump present differing perspectives on military policy, defense spending, and the role of the U.S. military in global affairs. Their approaches reflect broader differences in how they view America’s place in the world and the priorities they set for national defense. This essay will explore the military policies of both candidates, highlighting their respective positions on defense spending, military readiness, alliances, and the use of military force, using only factual information based on their track records and public statements.
Kamala Harris: Emphasis on Diplomacy and Modernization
As the Democratic candidate and former vice president, Kamala Harris has emphasized a military policy that balances strength with diplomacy. Harris supports maintaining a strong U.S. military but also believes that diplomatic efforts and alliances should play a central role in U.S. global strategy. Her positions reflect a broader Democratic approach, focusing on modernizing the military to address emerging threats such as cyber warfare and climate change, while also avoiding unnecessary military engagements abroad.
Defense Spending and Modernization: Harris has expressed support for a strong military but also advocates for more targeted defense spending. During her time as vice president, Harris supported the Biden administration’s defense budgets, which increased spending in certain areas such as research and development while calling for greater efficiency in military expenditures. The Biden administration’s 2022 defense budget totaled $768 billion, reflecting a slight increase from the previous year.
Harris has been a proponent of modernizing the U.S. military to meet new and emerging challenges. This includes investments in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and space defense. She has also emphasized the need to address non-traditional threats, such as climate change, which she views as a national security issue due to its potential to cause global instability and exacerbate conflicts over resources.
Focus on Diplomacy and Alliances: A key component of Harris’s approach to military policy is her emphasis on diplomacy and international alliances. As vice president, she has consistently advocated for strengthening alliances with NATO and other global partners, viewing these relationships as essential to maintaining global security and stability. Harris’s focus on diplomacy aligns with the broader Democratic foreign policy approach of working with allies to address global challenges, such as counterterrorism, climate change, and economic instability.
For example, Harris has supported U.S. efforts to assist Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, emphasizing the importance of NATO unity and collective security. She has also voiced support for multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and has advocated for diplomatic solutions to conflicts in regions like the Middle East and East Asia.
Reducing Military Engagements Abroad: Harris has been cautious about U.S. military engagements abroad, advocating for a more restrained use of force. During her time in the Senate, she supported efforts to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, arguing that prolonged military engagements were not in the best interest of the United States. As vice president, Harris supported the Biden administration’s decision to fully withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, ending a 20-year military presence in the country. While the withdrawal was highly controversial due to the chaotic nature of the U.S. exit and the rapid takeover of the country by the Taliban, Harris has maintained that it was the right decision to end "endless wars."
Harris has also emphasized the importance of avoiding new military interventions unless absolutely necessary. She supports using diplomacy, sanctions, and other non-military tools to address global threats, reserving the use of military force as a last resort.
Veterans and Military Families: In addition to her positions on defense policy, Harris has been a strong advocate for veterans and military families. She has supported increased funding for veterans’ healthcare and education programs, as well as efforts to address mental health challenges and homelessness among veterans. Harris has also championed the expansion of benefits for military families, including childcare and housing assistance, to ensure that those who serve have the support they need.
Donald Trump: A Focus on Military Strength and America First
Donald Trump’s approach to military policy during his presidency (2017-2021) was marked by an emphasis on increasing defense spending, modernizing the military, and adopting an "America First" approach to global affairs. Trump’s fiscal and defense policies reflected a belief in maintaining overwhelming military strength while reducing U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts and rebalancing U.S. alliances to focus on national interests.
Defense Spending Increases: Trump made significant increases in defense spending a hallmark of his presidency. During his time in office, Trump pushed for substantial increases in the defense budget, arguing that the U.S. military had been weakened by previous administrations. Trump’s first defense budget, for fiscal year 2018, increased military spending to $700 billion, a major jump from the previous year. By 2020, defense spending had reached $738 billion under his administration.
Trump’s defense budgets focused on modernizing the military, increasing funding for advanced weapon systems, upgrading nuclear capabilities, and expanding the U.S. Navy and Air Force. He also prioritized spending on the Space Force, which was established in 2019 as a new branch of the military to address growing threats in space.
America First and Skepticism of Alliances: A central feature of Trump’s foreign and military policy was his "America First" approach, which prioritized U.S. national interests and sought to reduce what he saw as unnecessary commitments to global alliances. Trump frequently criticized NATO, accusing European allies of not paying their fair share for collective defense. During his presidency, Trump pressured NATO countries to increase their defense spending, arguing that the U.S. was shouldering too much of the financial burden for the alliance’s security.
While Trump did not withdraw the U.S. from NATO, his administration’s approach to alliances was characterized by a transactional view, where the U.S. provided security only if allies contributed more financially. Trump’s criticism of NATO and other multilateral institutions was part of a broader skepticism of international agreements and organizations, including the United Nations, which he often viewed as infringing on U.S. sovereignty.
Military Engagements and Use of Force: Trump’s approach to military engagements was marked by a desire to reduce U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts while maintaining the option to use overwhelming force when necessary. Trump campaigned in 2016 on ending "endless wars" in the Middle East, and during his presidency, he pursued a partial withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. However, Trump also approved the use of military force in targeted operations, such as the 2017 missile strikes on Syrian government forces in response to chemical weapons attacks.
Trump’s administration took a hardline stance against Iran, pulling the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and implementing a "maximum pressure" campaign of economic sanctions. In 2020, Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a decision that heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Despite these confrontations, Trump avoided large-scale military interventions during his presidency, preferring to use economic and diplomatic pressure alongside targeted military actions.
Support for Veterans and Military Families: Like Harris, Trump was a strong advocate for veterans during his time in office. His administration enacted several reforms aimed at improving veterans’ healthcare, including expanding the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans to seek care from private doctors if they face long wait times at VA hospitals. Trump signed the *VA MISSION Act* into law in 2018, which expanded access to private care for veterans and overhauled the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve accountability and services.
Trump also increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, with the VA budget growing to $243 billion by 2021. His administration took steps to address veteran homelessness and improve mental health services, though critics argued that more needed to be done to reduce suicide rates among veterans.
Key Differences Between Harris and Trump on Military Policy
Defense Spending:
Kamala Harris: Harris supports a strong military but advocates for more targeted defense spending, particularly in areas like cybersecurity, space defense, and addressing non-traditional threats like climate change. She also emphasizes the importance of efficiency in defense spending and ensuring that resources are allocated to emerging threats.
Donald Trump: Trump has consistently advocated for significant increases in defense spending, focusing on military strength, modernization of the armed forces, and expanding capabilities in areas such as space and nuclear weapons. He views a strong military as essential to maintaining U.S. dominance on the world stage.
Alliances and Diplomacy:
Kamala Harris: Harris places a strong emphasis on diplomacy and multilateral alliances, particularly with NATO. She views these partnerships as essential to maintaining global security and addressing common threats. Harris supports working through international institutions to solve global problems.
Donald Trump: Trump’s "America First" approach is more skeptical of alliances, particularly NATO, which he believes relies too heavily on U.S. resources. While Trump did not abandon alliances, he pushed for allies to contribute more financially and prioritized U.S. interests in all international dealings.
Military Engagements Abroad:
Kamala Harris: Harris has advocated for reducing U.S. military engagements abroad and emphasizes the importance of diplomacy and other non-military tools for addressing global challenges. She supported the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and favors restraint in the use of military force.
Donald Trump: Trump also sought to reduce U.S. military engagements abroad, particularly in the Middle East, but he was willing to use military force in targeted operations. Trump’s administration took a more aggressive stance toward adversaries like Iran and used economic sanctions alongside military actions to pressure opponents.