Trump overstates military spending and readiness as potential for Iran conflict looms

President Trump has made numerous claims in recent days that he has completely updated the U.S. military’s equipment and suggested it is well-prepared for a major military conflict with Iran. But his comments grossly overstate spending decisions and mask an aging fleet of planes.

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that “The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment” and that if necessary he would use it to hit Iran “very fast and very hard.”

The actual amount spent on military equipment since he became president is much less, closer to $420 billion, according to according to Todd Harrison, a defense budget expert and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The rest was spent on things like personnel, operations and maintenance, and research and development.

Trump made similar exaggerations on Christmas Eve, during a phone call with Lt. Col. Daniel Wassmuth, the commander of the 20th Attack Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Trump told Wasumuth that as of three years ago “you didn’t have brand-new airplanes. You were not doing well. And now you have all brand new.”

This also is false.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/the-lasting-importance-of-david-sterns-seattle-supersonics-heist/ar-BBYFsPy?li=BBnba9I

Of course lying comes naturally to Trump.