Bolton: Obama’s Plan to Slash the Military ‘Has Nothing to Do With Budget Savings’

BOLTON This is nothing ░░░░░░░░ do with budget savings ░░░░░░░░ the expenditures in the ░░░░░░░░ side The president is ░░░░░░░░ American power doing it ░░░░░░░░ and doing it consistently ░░░░░░░░ And what does that ░░░░░░░░ in your view that ░░░░░░░░ power is decreased If ░░░░░░░░ look at the numbers ░░░░░░░░ would have active duty ░░░░░░░░ men and women in ░░░░░░░░ Columbia Egypt and China ░░░░░░░░ got more than 2 ░░░░░░░░ enrolled and Russia North ░░░░░░░░ a million or so ░░░░░░░░ Russia would be double ░░░░░░░░ than we are What ░░░░░░░░ that mean for American ░░░░░░░░ and our national interests ░░░░░░░░ we go forward BOLTON ░░░░░░░░ I think Americans understand ░░░░░░░░ are the only truly ░░░░░░░░ power We have interest ░░░░░░░░ allies all around the ░░░░░░░░ Russia has one treaty ░░░░░░░░ Belarus China has interest ░░░░░░░░ only in its region ░░░░░░░░ it is not a ░░░░░░░░ of comparing us to ░░░░░░░░ one of these countries ░░░░░░░░ we don t worry ░░░░░░░░ China in the Mediterranean ░░░░░░░░ We have to worry ░░░░░░░░ China there we have ░░░░░░░░ worry about Russia and ░░░░░░░░ in the Mediterranean So ░░░░░░░░ notion of taking down ░░░░░░░░ s global capabilities like ░░░░░░░░ that we will be ░░░░░░░░ less able to protect ░░░░░░░░ interests all over the ░░░░░░░░ Now I do I ░░░░░░░░ that allies should do ░░░░░░░░ to help protect their ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely But we re ░░░░░░░░ not doing this for ░░░░░░░░ We re not doing ░░░░░░░░ altruistically We re are ░░░░░░░░ it for ourselves and ░░░░░░░░ think the signal to ░░░░░░░░ all over the world ░░░░░░░░ you ve now got ░░░░░░░░ years to take advantage ░░░░░░░░ these budget decreases before ░░░░░░░░ is a new president ░░░░░░░░ I think they will ░░░░░░░░ think we will see ░░░░░░░░ and challenges to the ░░░░░░░░ States increase This policy ░░░░░░░░ President Obama is pursuing ░░░░░░░░ the opposite of Reagan ░░░░░░░░ policy of peace through ░░░░░░░░ Increasing American weakness does ░░░░░░░░ foster peace and security ░░░░░░░░ the world it fosters ░░░░░░░░ the opposite SHAWN We ░░░░░░░░ those threats right now ░░░░░░░░ have China and those ░░░░░░░░ islands there you ve ░░░░░░░░ Syria and Assad you ░░░░░░░░ got Iran and the ░░░░░░░░ program that continues seemingly ░░░░░░░░ despite the negotiations Ambassador ░░░░░░░░ s always been the ░░░░░░░░ and plan to fight ░░░░░░░░ major wars and military ░░░░░░░░ at the time same ░░░░░░░░ assume that the secretary ░░░░░░░░ defense will say yes ░░░░░░░░ will still be able ░░░░░░░░ do that under his ░░░░░░░░ proposals Do you think ░░░░░░░░ is true You obviously ░░░░░░░░ as we go forward ░░░░░░░░ Well we have not ░░░░░░░░ able to do that ░░░░░░░░ some time First it ░░░░░░░░ two major regional contingencies ░░░░░░░░ the end of the ░░░░░░░░ War And implicitly that ░░░░░░░░ one war in Korea ░░░░░░░░ two war in the ░░░░░░░░ East Then it was ░░░░░░░░ and half major regional ░░░░░░░░ with a win hold ░░░░░░░░ strategy But we re ░░░░░░░░ now under this plan ░░░░░░░░ less than one in ░░░░░░░░ view And you know ░░░░░░░░ an argument that the ░░░░░░░░ is going to make ░░░░░░░░ his domestic budget that ░░░░░░░░ time of austerity is ░░░░░░░░ How about if we ░░░░░░░░ some dramatic cuts in ░░░░░░░░ cutting entitlement programs so ░░░░░░░░ can build up the ░░░░░░░░ capability If you want ░░░░░░░░ stimulus jobs in the ░░░░░░░░ jobs in military construction ░░░░░░░░ a lot better for ░░░░░░░░ country s safety and ░░░░░░░░ the economy than loan ░░░░░░░░ to the likes of ░░░░░░░░